Adaptation and Validation of Ryff’s Psychological Well-being Scale (RPWS) Among Adolescents in Jimma Town, Southwest Ethiopia

Abstract

This research aimed to investigate the psychometric properties of Ryff’s Psychological Well-being
Scale (RPWS) among adolescents residing in Jimma town, southwest Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study
design was used. The study sample comprised 340 adolescents in grades 9 to 12, chosen through a
stratified random sampling technique. The validation stool, RPWS, was utilized to gather data
together with an anchor scale: Engagement, Perseverance, Optimism, Connectedness, and
Happiness-EPOCH Measure of Adolescent Well-being. In order to ensure content equivalence and
consistency of meaning between the source English version and Afaan Oromoo version of the scale,
professional bilingual experts have conducted forward and backward translation. Moreover, an expert
review panel consisting of six psychologists assessed the content validity of both scales. The internal
consistency reliability of the scales were evaluated by using Cronbach's alpha. Furthermore,
descriptive statistics, Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients, and Confirmatory Factor
Analysis (CFA), were employed to analyze the data. Overall reliability index for the RPWS was
acceptable (α = 0.89). The convergent validity of the RPWS was established by a significant moderate
positive correlation (r = 0.62, P < 0.01) with the EPOCH measure of adolescent well-being, which
assesses a similar construct. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) confirmed the RPWS six-factor
model fit to the data gathered from a sample of Ethiopian adolescents residing in Jimma town,
yielding a Chi square value of 4.268, CFI of .962, and an RMSEA of .067.Tthe findings confirm that
the original factor structure of the RPWS, following the exclusion of items with insufficient factor
loadings, effectively captured the distinct dimensions of psychological well-being within the study
sample.. The researchers recommended further psychometric testing of the RPWS in different
Ethiopian socio-cultural contexts.