Longitudinal measurement invariance in urbanization index of Chinese communities across 2000 and 2015: a Bayesian approximate measurement invariance approach.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The Urbanicity Scale was developed based on the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) to measure the urbanization index of communities according to 12 components. The present study was designed to systematically investigate the factorial validity, reliability, and longitudinal measurement invariance (LMI) of the Urbanicity Scale.

Methods

Six waves of CHNS data from 2000 to 2015 were adopted. The factor structure and reliability of the Urbanicity Scale for 301 communities were examined using Bayesian exploratory factor analysis. Metric and scalar LMIs were evaluated using both the conventional exact and a novel approximate LMI approach via Bayesian structural equation modeling across various timeframes.

Results

The findings verified the one-factor structu

SUBMITTER: Fong TCT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8431910 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature