Development and Psychometric Validation of a Multidimensional Questionnaire for Assessing Interpersonal Social Health

Although existing tools assess aspects of social health, few specifically focus on its interpersonal dimension. This study aimed to fill a conceptual and methodological gap by developing and validating a comprehensive tool to measure interpersonal social health.

A systematic, multiphase approach was employed. A conceptual framework was first established through an extensive literature review, followed by item generation. Face and content validity were assessed qualitatively and quantitatively. Psychometric evaluation was conducted using data from 730 participants in Tehran, Iran. Construct validity was examined using exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and reliability was assessed via Cronbach's alpha.

The final questionnaire comprised nine factors: interpersonal relationship, family trust, interpersonal trust, interpersonal responsibility, community participation, interpersonal life satisfaction, meaningfulness of interpersonal roles, interpersonal usefulness, and respect for the rights of others. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) value was 0.92, and Bartlett's test was significant (P < 0.001), confirming data suitability for factor analysis. The nine-factor structure explained 64.05% of the total variance. The scale demonstrated excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's α =0.93) and strong test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.89).

This study introduces and operationalizes the construct of interpersonal social health and presents a validated instrument for its assessment. The tool provides researchers, clinicians, and policymakers with a means to evaluate a nuanced and functionally significant domain of social health that has been largely overlooked in existing frameworks.