Psychometric validation and measurement invariance of the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile II in Honduran...

The Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile II (HPLP-II) is an instrument that assesses health-promoting behaviors. Despite its extensive use in the international literature, studies in the Honduran context examining its psychometric properties and supporting its use as a culturally sensitive measure in lower-middle-income countries are lacking. This study aimed to evaluate (1) the structural validity and reliability of the HPLP-II in a sample of Honduran university students, (2) its measurement invariance across key sociodemographic variables, and (3) its convergent validity through associations with quality of life.

This was a cross-sectional study conducted in a large national sample consisting of 6,012 Honduran university students. The participants completed a survey that included sociodemographic variables, the HPLP-II, and a measure of quality of life (WHOQOL-BREF). Structural and convergent validity were estimated via item-level confirmatory factor analysis models. Internal consistency was assessed through McDonald's omega (Ω) and composite reliability (CR). Additionally, the configural, metric, and scalar invariance of the instrument were analyzed across different sociodemographic variables.

The six-factor correlated model of the HPLP-II demonstrated the best fit to the data (CFI = .968; TLI = .966; RMSEA = .066; SRMR = .061). Adequate factor loadings (λ > .30) and internal consistency indices (Ω > .700; CR > .800) were observed for each of the six factors of the instrument. The findings revealed configural, metric, and scalar invariance by sex, university campus, field of study, current occupation, and self-reported preexisting medical conditions. The results also revealed moderate to strong positive correlations between all dimensions of the HPLP-II and those of the WHOQOL-BREF (r > .300; p < .001).

This study provides favorable evidence regarding the structural and convergent validity, as well as the reliability, of the scale for assessing health-promoting behaviors among Honduran university students. Measurement invariance up to the scalar level was supported, allowing for comparisons of latent means across subgroups. Finally, the evidence of convergent validity offers empirical support for the association between health-promoting behaviors and quality of life among university students.