Abstract
Background: Family functioning significantly impacts individual mental health, particularly during the transition to university life. While the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale (FACES III) is a widely used tool to assess family dynamics, its psychometric properties need validation in specific cultural contexts like Vietnam.
Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the reliability and validity of a Vietnamese version of the FACES III scale among medical students.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 405 medical and preventive medicine students at a medical university. A subset of 106 students participated in a retest evaluation. Reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha and test-retest reliability (Intraclass Correlation Coefficient - ICC). Construct validity was examined using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). Data were analyzed using SPSS and AMOS.
Results: The initial sample included 405 students (55.6% male). EFA confirmed based on 13 items suggested a three-factor structure explaining 55.6% of the total variance (Factor 1: 7 items, Factor 2: 3 items, Factor 3: 3 items), differing from the original two-factor model. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) measure was 0.857, and Bartlett's Test of Sphericity was significant (p < .001), supporting factorability. The overall Cronbach's alpha for the 13-item revised scale was 0.792. ICC was 0.79, 95%CI [0.71 - 0.86]. CFA indicated acceptable model fit for the threefactor structure (Chi-square/df = 3.331, GFI = 0.926, CFI = 0.898, AGFI = 0.892, RMSEA = 0.076).
Conclusion: The revised 13-item, three-factor Vietnamese version of FACES III demonstrated acceptable reliability and construct validity among medical students. This adapted scale appears suitable for assessing family dynamics in this specific population. Further research should confirm these findings in broader populations.
| Published | 2025-12-30 | |
| Fulltext |
|
|
| Language |
|
|
| Issue | Vol. 15 No. 6 (2025) | |
| Section | Original Articles | |
| DOI | 10.34071/jmp.2025.6.880 | |
| Keywords | FACES III, Reliability, Validity |
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Copyright (c) 2025 Hue Journal of Medicine and Pharmacy
Lisica D, Ramakic E, Dzubur-Alic A. Impact of Family Function and Psychosocial Factors on Development of Anxiety and Depression in First-Year Medical Students. Journal of Evolution of Medical and Dental Sciences. 2021;10(44):3747-52.
Oyanadel C, Worrell FC, Pinto-Vigueras J, Betancur S, Véliz Tapia T, Au-Castro M, et al. Time Balance and Family Functioning: The Role of Time Perspective in the Cohesion and Adaptability of Families with Adolescents. European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education. 2024;14(1):117-32.
Ulloque MJ, Villalba S, Foscarini G, Quinteros S, Calzadilla-Núñez A, Reyes-Reyes A, et al. Family Functioning as an Explanatory Factor of Empathic Behavior in Argentine Medical Students. Behav Sci (Basel). 2023;13(5).
Uruk AC, Sayger TV, & Cogdal PA. Examining the Influence of Family Cohesion and Adaptability on Trauma Symptoms and Psychological Well-Being. Journal of College Student Psychotherapy. 2007;22:51-63.
Vilca W, Díaz Narváez V, Pasten W, Niekerk-Bakit NA, Moreno P, Herazo-Beltrán Y, et al. Evaluation of the psychometric properties of the family adaptability and cohesion scale (FACES III) through item response theory models in students from Chile and Colombia. BMC Psychology. 2024;12.
Yu J, Wang Y, Tang X, Wu Y, Tang X, Huang J. Impact of Family Cohesion and Adaptability on Academic Burnout of Chinese College Students: Serial Mediation of Peer Support and Positive Psychological Capital. Frontiers in Psychology. 2021;Volume 12 - 2021.
W. Vilca L, Díaz-Narváez V, Calzadilla-Núñez A, Arispe-Alburqueque C, Arciniega SF, Orostegui MA, et al. Family functioning in students of health sciences in four Latin American countries: a study of the structure and factorial invariance of the FACES III scale. A cross-sectional study. Psicologia: Reflexão e Crítica. 2024;37.
Wolf EJ, Harrington KM, Clark SL, Miller MW. Sample Size Requirements for Structural Equation Models: An Evaluation of Power, Bias, and Solution Propriety. Educational and psychological measurement. 2013;76(6):913-34.
Guo N, Ho HC, Wang MP, Lai AY, Luk TT, Viswanath K, et al. Factor structure and Psychometric properties of the Family Communication Scale in the Chinese Population. Frontiers in psychology. 2021;12:736514.
Vilca W, Díaz Narváez V, Calzadilla Núñez A, Alburqueque C, Facio Arciniega S, Orostegui M, et al. Family functioning in students of health sciences in four Latin American countries: a study of the structure and factorial invariance of the FACES III scale. A cross-sectional study Psicologia: Re exão e Crítica. Psicologia, reflexao e critica : revista semestral do Departamento de Psicologia da UFRGS. 2024;37.
Vilca LW, Díaz-Narváez V, Calzadilla-Núñez A, Arispe-Alburqueque C, Arciniega SF, Orostegui MA, et al. Family functioning in students of health sciences in four Latin American countries: a study of the structure and factorial invariance of the FACES III scale. A cross-sectional study. Psicol Reflex Crit. 2024;37(1):5.
Barzykowski K, Majda A, Przyłęcki P, Szkup M. The Cross-Cultural Competence Inventory: Validity and psychometric properties of the Polish adaptation. PLOS ONE. 2019;14(3):e0212730.
Huansuriya T, Kruahiran P, Sriutaisuk S, Musa R. Construct validity and measurement invariance of the Asian Family Characteristics Scale in the Thai population. Journal of Health Research. 2022;36(4):615-28.