Validation and psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the brief sense of community scale

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to adapt the Brief Sense of Community Scale into Turkish and to evaluate its psychometric properties among an adult cohort. METHOD: This study involved 313 volunteers aged 18 years or older. The scale's linguistic and cultural adaptation was performed through forward and backward translation, an expert panel review, and a pilot test. Construct validity was assessed using confirmatory factor analysis; internal consistency was evaluated with Cronbach's alpha, McDonald's omega, item-total correlations, and the changes in reliability coefficients after item removal. For criterion and convergent validity, correlations were calculated with the psychological well-being, perceived social support, and quality-of-life scales. RESULTS: The Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the Turkish version of the Brief Sense of Community Scale was 0.882, and the McDonald's omega coefficient was 0.885. Item-total correlations ranged from 0.461 to 0.786, and removing any item did not significantly improve internal consistency. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the four-dimensional structure of the scale (Needs Fulfillment, Group Membership, Influence, and Emotional Connection) fit the data well (CFI = 0.985; TLI = 0.970; RMSEA = 0.069; SRMR = 0.026). Additionally, the Composite Reliability (CR) was 0.936, and the Average Variance Extracted (AVE) was 0.648. The total BSCS score showed moderate positive correlations with psychological well-being (r = 0.420; p < 0.001) and quality of life (r = 0.419; p < 0.001), and a weaker positive correlation with perceived social support (r = 0.238; p < 0.001). In a further comparison by recruitment source, the BSCS total and sub-dimension scores did not differ significantly between participants from psychiatry outpatient clinics and family medicine clinics. CONCLUSION: These findings demonstrate that the Brief Sense of Community Scale is a valid and reliable measure of sense of community among Turkish adults. The scale's concise, practical structure supports its use in community-based research and in mental health practices.