Validity and reliability of the Arabic version of the Stress Numerical Rating Scale-11 (Stress NRS-11)

Abstract

Background: Meta-analytic results have revealed a significant influence of stress on a wide array of psychological and behavioral markers, underscoring its considerable clinical importance. Providing a simple and cost-effective tool assessing stress for the Arabic-speaking population, predominantly residing in low- and middle-income nations, where research can be arduous, would be immensely beneficial. Therefore, our aim was to examine the psychometric properties of an Arabic version of the Stress Numerical Rating Scale-11 (Arabic SNRS-11), including its factor structure, reliability, and construct validity. Methods: 763 participants were recruited during November 2023. An anonymous self-administered Google Forms link was distributed via social media networks. To explore the factor structure of the Arabic SNRS-11, we utilized the FACTOR software. Initially, an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was performed, employing principal component analysis on the items from the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Subsequently, the analysis was repeated after integrating the Arabic SNRS-11. Results: The results of the EFA revealed two factors, which explained 66.43% of the common variance. When adding the SNRS-11, Bartlett’s test of sphericity, χ2(55) = 4127.1, p < .001, and KMO (.88) remained adequate. The two-factor solution obtained explained 63.28% of the variance. The same structure was obtained in both males and females separately. McDonald’s ω and Cronbach’s α were very good for all models. Both PSS and Arabic SNRS-11 scores correlated significantly and positively with each other, as well as with higher depression, anxiety and stress scores. Finally, no significant difference was found between males and females in terms of PSS and Arabic SNRS-11 scores. Conclusion: The findings indicate that the Arabic SNRS-11 is a cost-effective, valid, and reliable tool for assessing stress. Therefore, we strongly recommend its adoption in future research involving Arabic-speaking adolescents in clinical and research contexts within Arab regions, especially when researchers face limitations in terms of time or resources.