Measurement invariance of intuitive cancer risk perceptions across diverse populations: The Cognitive Causation and Negative Affect in Risk scales

J Health Psychol. 2019 Aug;24(9):1221-1232. doi: 10.1177/1359105317693910. Epub 2017 Feb 1.

Abstract

Intuitive cancer risk perceptions may inform strategies to motivate cancer prevention behaviors. This study evaluated factor structure and measurement invariance of two new measures of intuitive cancer risk, the Cognitive Causation and Negative Affect in Risk scales. Single- and multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis models were fit to responses from three diverse samples. The confirmatory factor analysis models fit the data well, with all comparative fit indices (CFI) ≥ 0.94. Items flagged by chi-square difference tests as potentially non-invariant were largely invariant between samples according to practical fit indices (e.g. ΔCFI). These novel scales may be particularly relevant in diverse, underserved populations.

Keywords: cancer risk perceptions; confirmatory factor analysis; construct validation; diversity; measurement; measurement invariance; risk.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Affect*
  • Attitude to Health*
  • Cognition*
  • Factor Analysis, Statistical
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Intuition*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasms / psychology*
  • Psychometrics
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Risk
  • Surveys and Questionnaires / standards*
  • Young Adult