Abstract
Purpose
Economic empowerment interventions contribute to increased financial security and independence among intimate partner violence (IPV) survivors. Improving economic self-efficacy is influential in improving financial behaviors. However, reliable and valid measures are necessary to conduct rigorous evaluations of these interventions. Specifically, a tool to properly evaluate the economic self-efficacy needs of Spanish-speaking IPV survivors is crucial but not yet available. This study tested the psychometric properties of the Scale of Economic Self-Efficacy (ESE) across Spanish and English-speaking IPV survivors, guided by these research questions: (a) Does the proposed one-factor model for the Scale of ESE fit both Spanish and English-speaking analytic samples well? (b) What are the psychometric properties of the Scale of ESE for both the Spanish and English-speaking samples? and (c) Can the Scale of ESE be used to measure ESE among both Spanish and English-speaking samples without bias?
Methods
A single-group confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), followed by a series of nested multi-group CFAs were conducted using data from 415 Spanish- and English- speaking IPV survivors living in the US and Puerto Rico.
Results
Findings demonstrate that the one-factor Scale of ESE is a valid and reliable scale for assessing economic self-efficacy within and across Spanish and English-speaking IPV survivors.
Conclusions
Results provide researchers with evidence to use the Scale of ESE to conduct rigorous evaluations of economic empowerment interventions for Spanish-speaking IPV survivors. The Scale of ESE also has the potential to aid in policy-making as policymakers and funders seek evidence for financial empowerment program decisions.