VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY OF THE SHSQ-25 FOR ASSESSING SUBOPTIMAL HEALTH STATUS AMONG HANOI MEDICAL UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

The Suboptimal Health Status Questionnaire (SHSQ-25) has been validated in different languages, such as Chinese and other Asian countries. This study, conducted in 2023, aims to examine the validity and reliability of the Vietnamese version of SHSQ-25 using data from 353 undergraduate students at Hanoi Medical University. Reliability was evaluated through test-retest reliability using the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) and internal consistency using Cronbach’s alpha. The subscales for fatigue, mental status, cardiovascular, and digestive symptoms demonstrated good test-retest reliability, with ICC values ranging from 0.416 to 0.703, and high internal consistency, with Cronbach's \(\alpha\) ranging from 0.81 to 0.90. However, the immune system subscale exhibited lower reliability, with an ICC of 0.276 and a Cronbach’s \(\alpha\) of 0.53, indicating less consistency between measurements. Validity was assessed through Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), which was performed to determine the underlying structure of the Vietnamese version, and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), which was used to further assess its fit to the data. EFA results revealed a new 5-factor structure. CFA supported the 5-factor model, but findings indicated that further refinement of the SHSQ-25 may be warranted to optimize its factor structure and item composition.