Document Type
Article
Publication Date
3-19-2026
Journal Title
Health Equity
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1177/24731242261434366
Disciplines
Nursing
Abstract
Introduction:
Life satisfaction is the cognitive evaluation of an individual’s current life situation and personal criteria influenced by their acclimatization process. Since the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) was introduced in 1985, it has been translated into 30 different languages. To date, there is limited knowledge about Filipino life satisfaction and its correlation to mental health. SWLS has not been translated, and its psychometric properties have not been established in Filipino. This study establishes the psychometric properties of the Filipino SWLS and examines the correlations between life satisfaction and mental health among Filipino Americans.
Methods:
The study design is a retrospective, non-experimental, psychometric evaluation of the Filipino SWLS. Two bilingual nurse practitioners translated the English SWLS into the Filipino version using a back-to-back translation procedure.
Results:
The Filipino SWLS demonstrated high internal consistency with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.868. The Cronbach’s alpha was similar to other translated SWLS (German, Hebrew, Korean, Lithuanian, Malay, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish [α = 0.82–0.90] and higher than Portuguese [α = 0.74] and Spanish from México [α = 0.78]). Exploratory factor analysis supported the one-factor structure of the Filipino SWLS.
Discussion:
The study is relevant and is the first to validate the Filipino SWLS among Filipino adults. These findings can be replicated across different Filipino-speaking populations and settings, regardless of the country where the scale is applied, thereby underpinning the validity and reliability of the Filipino SWLS in other groups.
Health Equity Implications:
Mental health conditions are a stigma in Filipino communities. Due to the stigma of mental health, there is a lack of awareness about the significance of mental health in overall health. Thus, there is a lack of resources in the community due to less demand for mental health services from the Filipino communities, which underscores the need for translated mental health instruments.
Digital USD Citation
Milo, Razel Bacuetes; Calero, Patricia; and Connelly, Cynthia D., "Psychometric Properties and Validation of the Filipino Satisfaction with Life Scale" (2026). School of Nursing and Health Science: Faculty Scholarship. 59.
https://digital.sandiego.edu/nursing_facpub/59