Validación de constructo de la Escala de Sentido de Coherencia (Soc-29) en jóvenes colombianos

The Sense of Coherence Scale (SOC-29), developed by Aaron Antonovsky, is a crucial instrument for assessing people’s ability to deal constructively and positively with both internal and external stimuli. This study focuses on the construct validity of the SOC-29 among young university students in Colombia, specifically in a group of 566 students from two public and three private universities in Manizales. The research adopts a quantitative approach and performs an exploratory factor analysis that identifies three key factors: meaningfulness, comprehensibility and manageability, which are aligned with the theoretical dimensions initially proposed by Antonovsky. The arrangement of the items within these factors confirms the construct validity of the scale.This study underscores the relevance of the SOC-29 scale as a reliable and valid instrument to measure the sense of coherence in Colombian youth, supporting its usefulness in psychometric assessment and promoting its application in mental health research. It highlights the consistency of these findings with previous research conducted in other Latin American contexts, such as Peru and Mexico, where the validity and reliability of the SOC-29 has also been corroborated, thus expanding the body of knowledge on Antonovsky’s salutogenic theory. By validating this tool in the Colombian university population, it facilitates the exploration of strategies to improve the well-being and mental health of young people, considering the sense of coherence as a crucial factor for the effective coping of life challenges and stressors. This may have significant implications in the design and implementation of programs and policies aimed at strengthening resilience and psychological well-being in this population.