抄録
This study, which conducts a research on the well-being of Japanese undergraduate students, has three aims. First, this study examines whether the Japanese version of the 13-item sense of coherence (SOC) scale (SOC13) and 11-item SOC scale (SOC11) possess the stability of factor structure. Second, it tries to establish the comprehensive undergraduates' well-being model that is predicted by SOC. Last, it examined whether the Japanese version of SOC13 and SOC11 predict established undergraduates' well-being in addition to examining stability of factor structure and level and changes of their SOC, and which scale is more useful in Japan, SOC11 or SOC13.
To investigate these objectives, a follow-up survey was conducted based on a self-administered questionnaire that was given to 406 undergraduates at two universities in Tokyo. The first surveys were conducted on first and second year undergraduates in May and October 2000 (Time1) and second survey were September 2002 (Time2) ; valid responses were received from 281 students (valid response rate : 69.2%).
Structural equation modeling revealed that SOC13 and SOC11 had a high stability of second-order factor structure, though there remained a need for minimal modifications. In Addition, an undergraduate's well-being model, which was controlled for gender, grade, and school, had a good model fit. In both SOC13 and SOC11, the SOC-level and SOC-change had a common, significant effect on the physical-mental well-being and psychosocial well-being of the subjects. However, common to both sides, the path coefficients from SOC-level and SOC-change, particularly SOC-level, to the psychosocial well-being were lower in comparison to physical-mental well-being though this model was modified in fractional part.
SOC11 and SOC13 possessed nearly the same stability and influence in the physical-mental well-being and psychosocial well-being. We can assume that it is permissible to use the SOC13 or SOC11 and reserve judgment on SOC13 or SOC11. It will be necessary to compare the construct validity of SOC13 with that of SOC11 in other samples.
