Examining the Factor Structure of the Family Member Well-being Index (FMWB) in a Colombian Sample

The Family Well-Being Index (FMWB) is a broadly used instrument. However, it has not been tested for any latent structure via any factor analysis. This study aimed to check the internal structure of the FMWB by implementing 4-factor models in a Colombian sample from 3 different regions. A validity evidence study was conducted, and a sample of 524 nuclear families was obtained (59.2% Bogotá, 15.3% Santa Marta, 25.6% Cali-Palmira). The data was analyzed by organizing the answer in a univariate and multivariate matrix arrangement, using the software factor and R, the models were tested; the best fitting model was the bi-factor model (x2 =404.127, df = 228, CFI = .958, TLI= .949, RMSEA= .047, SRMR= .055). The results suggest that the bi-factor model is the best model that explains the latent structure of the FMWB, by comprehending each member's responses or perspectives as latent dimensions (fathers, mothers, children) of the FMWB More research is needed to obtain more validity evidences that could help justify correctly the scores obtained with this scale.