PLoS ONE (Jan 2021)

Using Mindful Attention Awareness Scale on male prisoners: Confirmatory factor analysis and Rasch models.

  • Ali Poorebrahim,
  • Chung-Ying Lin,
  • Vida Imani,
  • Shapour Soltankhah Kolvani,
  • Seyed Abbas Alaviyoun,
  • Narges Ehsani,
  • Amir H Pakpour

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0254333
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 16, no. 7
p. e0254333

Abstract

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AimThis study tested the construct validity (i.e., factor structure) of the Persian Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) on a sample of male prisoners.MethodsAll the participants (mean±SD age = 39.44±7.94 years) completed three scales-the Persian MAAS, the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), and the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and Rasch analysis with differential item functioning (DIF) were applied to examine the construct validity of the MAAS. Specifically, the DIF was tested across different insomnia status (using ISI with a cutoff of 15), psychiatric well-being status (using GHQ-12 with a cutoff of 12), and age (using mean age of 39.44 as the cutoff).ResultsThe CFA results showed a single factor solution for the Persian MAAS. The Rasch results showed all MAAS items fit in the construct (infit mean square [MnSq] = 0.72 to 1.41; outfit MnSq = 0.74 to 1.39) without displaying DIF items (DIF contrast = -0.34 to 0.31 for insomnia condition; -0.22 to 0.25 for psychiatric well-being; -0.26 to 0.29 for age).ConclusionsThe Persian version of the MAAS is, therefore, a valid instrument to measure mindfulness among Iranian male prisoners.