• Cristian Ramos-Vera, Dennis Calle, Helen Collacso Fiesta, Lorena Lisbett Lamilla, Antonio Serpa-Barrientos, and Jacksaint Saintila.
• Research Area, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad César Vallejo, Lima, Perú.
• Patient Prefer Adher. 2023 Jan 1; 17: 199920111999-2011.

IntroductionOne of the key psychosocial factors that impact mental and emotional health is social support. While much research has been conducted on the role of social support in the lives of cancer patients, there is a lack of studies that consider populations who need specific tools to assess this concept.PurposeThe aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the MOS Social Support Scale (1991) in 499 Peruvian cancer patients between the ages of 18 and 87 (M= 46.30, SD = 15.747).MethodsIn this study, three models of the MOS were analyzed based on 19-item versions (four factor, second order and bifactor model).ResultsThe results showed a better psychometric fit in the 19-item bifactor model with optimal fit indices through the structural equation method (SB-χ2/df = 1.94, CFI = 0.966, TLI= 0.955, SRMR = 0.038 and RMSEA = 0.058). Additionally, there was evidence of configural, metric and scalar invariance with this instrument according to the gender of the surveyed cancer patients. Convergent validity using a network analysis approach revealed positive associations between social support dimensions and quality of life.ConclusionEmotional support and positive interactions dimensions were found to be important interconnections in the overall network, as indicated by their greater centralities. Therefore, this instrument could be suggested as a reliable way to evaluate cancer patients and their perceived support.© 2023 Ramos-Vera et al.

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