Abstract
Background: Metacognitive impairments in nurses including deficits of metamemory and metaconcentration may negatively affect the quality of health care. However, no brief and easily administrable tool to assess metacognitive aspects in health professionals is available.
Aims: To evaluate the psychometric validation of the Metamemory and metaconcentration scale (MMS) in nurses.
Method: A cross-sectional study with purposive sampling in Saudi nurses (n=134, age=30.7 +/- 5.9 years) at Majmaah, Saudi Arabia using the MMS, insomnia severity index (ISI) and a socio-demographic questionnaire was performed. Strobe's guideline and checklist for cross-sectional studies were followed.
Results: A 1-Factor model showed best fit (Comparative Fit Index (CFI) and Goodness of fit index > 0.95, Standardized root mean square residual and root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA)< 0.05, chi 2 test (p=.659), chi 2/df < 3, and PClose > 0.5). This 1-factor model showed favorable configural (CFI>.95, RMSEA<.05, chi 2/df<3), metric and scalar (non-significant Delta chi 2 and/or and Delta CFI <=.01) invariance across gender. Internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha=0.90) and item discrimination; item-total correlations (r=.81-.53, p<.01) and the Cronbach's alpha if item-deleted (0.88-0.91) were excellent. Divergent validity was favored by no/weak correlations between the MMS and the ISI scores.
Conclusions: MMS has good psychometric validity for screening metamemory and metaconcentration in health professionals specially nurses. Such screening will help identify one of the important reasons, i.e., deficits of metamemory and metaconcentration affecting health care.