Validity and Reliability of the Spanish Version of the General Work Stress Scale in Mexican Medical Residents

The General Work Stress Scale (GWSS) explores how a worker's feelings, thoughts, and motivations are affected by work pressure. We aimed to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Spanish version of the GWSS in Mexican medical residents.

Cross-sectional study of medical residents of all specialties in a public health institution in Nuevo León, Mexico. They were invited to participate by filling out an anonymous and voluntary online questionnaire (n = 772). Content validity (relevance and usefulness) was evaluated using the Lawshe index (LCVI), while construct validity was assessed with exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory (CFA) factor analysis. The CFA fit indices were RMSEA (root mean square error of approximation), the comparative fit index (CFI), the Tucker-Lewis index (TLI), and the standardized root mean square residual (SRMR). The Spearman correlation coefficient between the GWSS and the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI) was estimated for concurrent validity and Cronbach's α for reliability.

The GWSS showed content validity (LCVI 0.96 ± 0.08 and 0.90 ± 0.10 for relevance and usefulness, respectively). The EFA showed a unifactorial structure (74.3% of the variance). The CFA showed a good fit (RMSEA = 0.122 (95% CI 0.105, 0.140), CFI = 0.958, TLI = 0.942 and SRMR = 0.028). A Cronbach's α of 0.96 and a correlation of 0.65 (p <0.0001) were obtained.

The Spanish version of the GWSS showed content, construct, and concurrent validity, as well as reliability in Mexican medical residents. Testing the GWSS in other specialties and the private sector is recommended.