Polychoric Correlation With Ordinal Data in Nursing Research
Background Measures in nursing research frequently use Likert scales that yield ordinal data. Confirmatory factor analysis using Pearson correlations commonly applies to such data, although this violates ordinal scale assumptions. Objectives The aim of this study was to illustrate the application of...
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/nnr.0000000000000614 https://journals.lww.com/10.1097/NNR.0000000000000614 |
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crovidcr:10.1097/nnr.0000000000000614 2024-09-15T18:14:25+00:00 Polychoric Correlation With Ordinal Data in Nursing Research Kiwanuka, Frank Kopra, Juho Sak-Dankosky, Natalia Nanyonga, Rose Clarke Kvist, Tarja 2022 http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/nnr.0000000000000614 https://journals.lww.com/10.1097/NNR.0000000000000614 en eng Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health) http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Nursing Research volume 71, issue 6, page 469-476 ISSN 1538-9847 0029-6562 journal-article 2022 crovidcr https://doi.org/10.1097/nnr.0000000000000614 2024-07-01T04:17:08Z Background Measures in nursing research frequently use Likert scales that yield ordinal data. Confirmatory factor analysis using Pearson correlations commonly applies to such data, although this violates ordinal scale assumptions. Objectives The aim of this study was to illustrate the application of polychoric correlations and polychoric confirmatory factor analysis as a valid alternative statistical approach using data on family members’ perceived support from nurses as an exemplar. Methods A primary analysis of cross-sectional data from a sample of 800 participants using data collected with the Iceland-Family Perceived Support Questionnaire was conducted using polychoric versus Pearson correlations, analysis of variance, and confirmatory factor analysis. Results A two-factor measurement model was compatible with data from family members in the Ugandan care settings. Two contextual factors (cognitive and emotional support) constituted the family support measurement model. A factor correlation indicated that the two factors reflected distinct but closely related aspects of family support. Polychoric correlation revealed 13.8% (range: 5.5%–25.2%) higher correlations compared to Pearson correlations. Moreover, the polychoric agreed with the data, whereas the Pearson confirmatory factor analysis did not fit based on multiple statistical criteria. Analyses indicated a difference in emotional and cognitive support perception across two family characteristics: education and relationship to the patient. Discussion A polychoric correlation suggests stronger associations, and consequently, the approach can be more credible with an ordinal Likert scale than Pearson correlations. Hence, polychoric confirmatory factor analysis can address a larger proportion of variance. In nursing research, polychoric confirmatory factor analysis can confidently be utilized when conducting confirmatory factor analysis of ordinal variables in Likert scales. Furthermore, when a Pearson confirmatory factor analysis is used for ordinal Likert ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Iceland Ovid Nursing Research 71 6 469 476 |
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Background Measures in nursing research frequently use Likert scales that yield ordinal data. Confirmatory factor analysis using Pearson correlations commonly applies to such data, although this violates ordinal scale assumptions. Objectives The aim of this study was to illustrate the application of polychoric correlations and polychoric confirmatory factor analysis as a valid alternative statistical approach using data on family members’ perceived support from nurses as an exemplar. Methods A primary analysis of cross-sectional data from a sample of 800 participants using data collected with the Iceland-Family Perceived Support Questionnaire was conducted using polychoric versus Pearson correlations, analysis of variance, and confirmatory factor analysis. Results A two-factor measurement model was compatible with data from family members in the Ugandan care settings. Two contextual factors (cognitive and emotional support) constituted the family support measurement model. A factor correlation indicated that the two factors reflected distinct but closely related aspects of family support. Polychoric correlation revealed 13.8% (range: 5.5%–25.2%) higher correlations compared to Pearson correlations. Moreover, the polychoric agreed with the data, whereas the Pearson confirmatory factor analysis did not fit based on multiple statistical criteria. Analyses indicated a difference in emotional and cognitive support perception across two family characteristics: education and relationship to the patient. Discussion A polychoric correlation suggests stronger associations, and consequently, the approach can be more credible with an ordinal Likert scale than Pearson correlations. Hence, polychoric confirmatory factor analysis can address a larger proportion of variance. In nursing research, polychoric confirmatory factor analysis can confidently be utilized when conducting confirmatory factor analysis of ordinal variables in Likert scales. Furthermore, when a Pearson confirmatory factor analysis is used for ordinal Likert ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Kiwanuka, Frank Kopra, Juho Sak-Dankosky, Natalia Nanyonga, Rose Clarke Kvist, Tarja |
spellingShingle |
Kiwanuka, Frank Kopra, Juho Sak-Dankosky, Natalia Nanyonga, Rose Clarke Kvist, Tarja Polychoric Correlation With Ordinal Data in Nursing Research |
author_facet |
Kiwanuka, Frank Kopra, Juho Sak-Dankosky, Natalia Nanyonga, Rose Clarke Kvist, Tarja |
author_sort |
Kiwanuka, Frank |
title |
Polychoric Correlation With Ordinal Data in Nursing Research |
title_short |
Polychoric Correlation With Ordinal Data in Nursing Research |
title_full |
Polychoric Correlation With Ordinal Data in Nursing Research |
title_fullStr |
Polychoric Correlation With Ordinal Data in Nursing Research |
title_full_unstemmed |
Polychoric Correlation With Ordinal Data in Nursing Research |
title_sort |
polychoric correlation with ordinal data in nursing research |
publisher |
Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health) |
publishDate |
2022 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/nnr.0000000000000614 https://journals.lww.com/10.1097/NNR.0000000000000614 |
genre |
Iceland |
genre_facet |
Iceland |
op_source |
Nursing Research volume 71, issue 6, page 469-476 ISSN 1538-9847 0029-6562 |
op_rights |
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1097/nnr.0000000000000614 |
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Nursing Research |
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71 |
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6 |
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469 |
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476 |
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