Psychometric Properties of a Swahili-Translated Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6) in Sample of Aging Kenyans
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Date
2024
Authors
Muruthi, James R.
Maina, Lucy
Mwega, Elijah
Kagai, Violet
Alfred Otieno
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
IJSSHR
Abstract
Objective: The prevalence of psychological distress, such as depression and anxiety, is increasing among
Kenyans. However, there is a lack of understanding about its prevalence rates among aging people, and
we lack culturally standardized and concise tools to measure it.
Method: This study utilized a sample of 376 older individuals obtained from three regions in Kenya to
investigate the distribution, prevalence, and psychometric properties of a Swahili-translated version of
the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6). A significant advantage of the K6 is its capacity to
measure various mental health factors despite its conciseness.
Results: Distribution assessments reveal that most participants reported high psychological distress
scores (13 or above), and women experienced significantly higher rates compared to men. The K6
indicators showed high internal consistency for the sample (alpha =.83). Exploratory factor analysis
showed the six items loading to on 1 factor and subsequent confirmatory analysis demonstrated excellent
fit (CFI = .95; RMSEA = .03) for the one-factor model.
Discussion: The high occurrence of psychological distress among the sample highlights this mental
health problem as a potentially urgent area of need in the entire Kenyan population. Factor analysis
results suggest that the Swahili-translated K6 is a concise tool with great potential for assessing
psychological distress among older Kenyans
Description
Article
Keywords
Psychological Distress, K6, Psychometric, Factor Analysis, Aging
Citation
Muruthi, J. R., Maina, L., Mwega, E., Kagai, V., & Otieno, A. (2024). Psychometric properties of a Swahili-translated Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6) in sample of aging Kenyans . International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research (IJSSHR) ISSN 2959-7056 (o); 2959-7048 (p), 2(1), 40–49. https://doi.org/10.61108/ijsshr.v2i1.68