The Construct and Predictive Validity of Instruments Measuring the Psychosocial Correlates of Television Viewing

Background: Many studies have examined the consequences of prolonged television viewing, but few studies have examined the psychological states that contribute to this behavior. In this study, we evaluated the construct and predictive validity of psychosocial correlates of television viewing in a population of African American (AA) breast cancer survivors (BCS). Methods: AA BCS (N = 342, Mean age = 54 years) completed measures of decisional balance, self-efficacy, family support, and time spent watching television online. Exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) was used to examine the construct and predictive validity as well as the differential item functioning of the instruments among population subgroups. Results: The construct validity of the measures was supported among subgroups. The scales were measuring the construct similarly among the education and body size groups, but not among age groups. Subsequent analysis indicated that pros (β = -0.19, P < 0.05), cons (β = 0.18, P < 0.05), and self-efficacy (β = -0.16, P < 0.05) were significantly associated with time spent watching television. Conclusions: Minor modifications may be needed to support the validity and reliability of the decisional balance and self-efficacy subscales among older survivors. More studies are needed to modify these measures to establish sufficient levels of construct and predictive validity in this population.