The psychosocial risk factors scale: factorial validity and reliability analysis

Objectives. Assessing psychosocial risks in the workplace is essential for promoting employee well-being and occupational safety. This study validates the psychosocial risk factors scale (INSAT_ERPS), a comprehensive instrument developed to identify and measure diverse psychosocial risks in occupational settings. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted between February 2023 and May 2024 with 1739 Portuguese workers from various sectors. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Missing data were imputed using the expectation-maximization algorithm. EFA employed maximum likelihood extraction with oblimin rotation and Kaiser normalization, supported by a Bartlett Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin value of 0.961 (p < 0.001). Results. CFA confirmed the seven-factor structure identified in EFA, encompassing 44 items across key dimensions: 'Work Intensity', 'Working Hours', 'Autonomy and Initiative', 'Social Work Relations', 'Employment Relations', 'Emotional Demands', and 'Work Values'. The model demonstrated strong psychometric properties, with Cronbach's α ranging from 0.851 to 0.917. Factor loadings (0.422-0.911) indicated statistically significant and meaningful contributions to their respective dimensions. Conclusions. Despite minor cross-loadings, the factorial structure was robust, confirming the INSAT_ERPS as a valid and reliable tool for diagnosing and managing psychosocial risks in occupational health.