Some authors have concluded that the SOC scale is more appropriate as a one-dimensional scale ( 3, 7), while others have suggested a multidimensional concept ( 2). In these studies, a one-factor structure was often tested against a three-factor structure. The results of validation studies proved both instruments to be reliable and cross-culturally appropriate tools ( 2, 3, 4). Both instruments were also assessed for their reliability and validity in different population groups, from the general population to various groups of patients ( 2, 3, 4, 5, indicates that the SOC-29 and SOC-13 have been used in at least 49 different languages in at least 48 different countries around the world ( 2). The original version of the instrument consisted of 29 questions (SOC-29), while a shorter version contained 13 questions (SOC-13) ( 2).

In order to measure the SOC, Antonovsky developed a special instrument: the Orientation to Life questionnaire, also named the SOC scale. It was seen as a coping resource that helped individuals to identify and use their external and internal resources for solving problems and managing life events ( 1). The Sense of Coherence (SOC) is a key concept of salutogenic model proposed in 1979 by the American-Israeli medical sociologist Aaron Antonovsky ( 1). The study proposes that potential users use the single-factor structure.

The Croatian version of the SOC-29 instrument successfully fulfilled the necessary psychometric criteria for being used on the population of Croatian nurses. All items also showed saturation with the first factor (accounting for 25.7% of the variance). As the three-factor model in PCA has been shown to be uninterpretable, and all three factors were mutually positive and significantly correlated (correlation coefficients: 0.365–0.521), this indicated a single factor in the background. In the CFA, none of the models fitted well, although the fit of the three-factor model (CMIN/DF=4.786, CFI=0.767, RMSEA=0.073) was slightly better in comparison with the one-factor model (CMIN/DF=6.072, CFI=0.685, RMSEA=0.084).

However, the observed factors could not be interpreted. PCA analysis has identified five factors that together account for 48% of the variance. The instrument demonstrated high internal consistency (α=0.885). Internal consistency reliability was evaluated using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient (α), while the structure of the questionnaire was verified by exploratory factor analysis (EFA) (method of extraction: principal component analysis (PCA)) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). A total of 711 nurses participated in this study. The cross-sectional study was conducted between December 2017 and June 2018 at the University Hospital Centre Sisters of Mercy (UHCSM) in Zagreb, Croatia. The aim of the study was to validate the Croatian version of the Sense of Coherence 29-item instrument (SOC-29) within a nursing population.

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