Development and Investigating of the Validity and Reliability of Empty Nest Syndrome Questionnaire Among the Elderly

Objective The objective assessment of the empty nest syndrome is crucial due to its prevalence and impact on the lives of elderly parents. This study constructs, standardizes, and tests the reliability and validity of the empty nest syndrome questionnaire among the elderly. Materials & Methods This study investigates the psychometric properties of the empty nest syndrome questionnaire. The research sample included 181 elderly residents of Tehran City, Iran, in 2021, selected randomly by visiting their homes. The construction of the questionnaire involved four steps: 1) Reviewing Persian and English theoretical texts and conducting semi-structured interviews with experts; 2) Identifying symptoms related to empty nest syndrome and developing the item pool; 3) Assessing face and content validity; 4) Examining reliability and construct validity of the instrument. Content validity was assessed using the content validity ratio by a panel of experts (6 individuals specialized in psychology, counseling, and gerontology). Reliability over time (one week) was tested using the Pearson correlation. And, internal consistency was examined using the Cronbach alpha coefficient. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software, version 26 and AMOS software, version 24. Results The agreement threshold for the content validity ratio was set at 0.99 based on the number of experts, resulting in 20 out of 40 questions from the initial pool not meeting the required threshold. After administering the 20-item questionnaire to the target population, exploratory factor analysis was conducted, resulting in three sub-scales. Due to item misalignment with sub-scales, 5 items were removed, finalizing a 15-item questionnaire. The obtained Cronbach alpha coefficients ranged from 0.80 to 0.93, with a total tool alpha of 0.88, indicating acceptable reliability. The model fit indices obtained from factor loadings were comparative fit index=0.84, chi-square minimum discrepancy=4.4, and root mean square error of approximation=0.137, showing that the researcher-made questionnaire is appropriately fitted. Participants' scores across the three sub-scales ranged from 15 to 95. Scores from 1 to 33 indicate mild empty nest syndrome, 33.1 to 55 indicate moderate, and 55.1 to 75 indicate high levels of syndrome presence. The temporal reliability obtained was 0.994, indicating the high reliability of the test. and can be used to assess this syndrome in various studies.