Internal Structure and Reliability of the Public Stigma of Alzheimer’s Disease Scale (PSAD-K) Among Korean Americans

Publication Date

4-11-2026

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Journal of Cross Cultural Gerontology

Volume

41

Issue

2

DOI

10.1007/s10823-026-09570-3

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the internal structure and reliability of the Korean version of the Public Stigma of Alzheimer’s Disease Scale (PSAD-K) among Korean Americans. We used a community survey dataset of 268 Korean Americans. The 19 items of the layperson stigma associated with AD were translated into Korean. After randomly dividing the sample into two subgroups, we conducted exploratory factor analysis (EFA) with one group to examine the factor structure of the PSAD-K and then performed confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) with the other group to validate the identified structure. Additionally, we conducted reliability analyses. The EFA identified three factors: negative emotions, empathetic responses, and behavioral responses. Using this three-factor model, we conducted CFA with the highest-loading items retained for each factor; however, the initial model showed poor fit. After removing three items, the revised model demonstrated excellent fit. All factor loadings were significant. The 16-item PSAD-K demonstrated excellent internal consistency reliability (α = 0.87), with each domain showing strong internal consistency. This study provides initial evidence of a psychometrically sound and culturally responsive PSAD-K, contributing to a better understanding of the nature and magnitude of AD public stigma and informing efforts to reduce it in this population.

Keywords

Construct validity, Korean American, Measurement, Psychometric evaluation, Public stigma; Alzheimer's disease

Department

Social Work

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