Development and validation of the medical social self-efficacy scale for use in culturally diverse communities.

This study developed a new scale, The Medical Social Self-efficacy Scale (MSSES), to assess social self-efficacy within a medical context for patients of diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Validation of the MSSES with a sample of 113 persons indicated that the scale has good internal consistency, with a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of .85. A factor analysis yielded two factors (confidence in seeking medical information, confidence in stating my view) which accounted for 64% of the total variance. Split-half reliability of the MSSES was .84. Predictive validity of the MSSES and its factorial structure was found for the mental component summary and general health subscale of the 12-item Short-Form Health Survey. Evidence of concurrent validity was found with the active coping, planning and positive reframing subscales of the Brief COPE. Concurrent validity was also found for the MSSES and its factors, in regard to the emotion-focused coping composite subscale of the Brief COPE. The results indicate that the MSSES appears to be a psychometrically sound instrument.