Validation of the Scales of Satisfaction with Life and Affect for elderly in rural

Abstract

This study aimed to adapt and validate the Scales of Satisfaction with Life (SWLS) and Positive and Negative Affects (PNAS) for elderly residents in the rural environment in the State of Paraiba, Brasil. 342 elderly people, aged between 60 and 80 years. They answered a biodemographic questionnaire, SWLS and PANAS. Both ranging from 0 (none) to 10 (extremely). Descriptive analyses and exploratory factor analysis were done. The SWLS presented itself as one-dimensional (4 items) based on a Principal Axis Factoring (PAF) that settled a single factor (Alpha de Cronbrach = 0,84), allowing to explain 59,07% of the construct total variance. The PNAS, on the other hand, configured as two-dimensional through the analysis of Principal Components (PC) with Oblimin rotation, formed by factors positive affects (4 items) and negative affects (5 items), explaining, respectively, 40,88% and 18,18% of the total variance, and with Alpha de Cronbrach 0,78 in each factor. In this sense, both scales proved to be appropriate to the sample in question.