Assessing the reliability and validity of the John Henry active coping scale in an urban sample of African Americans and white Americans

Anita F. Fernander, Ron E.F. Durán, Patrice G. Saab, Maria M. Llabre, Neil Schneiderman

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

29 Scopus citations

Abstract

Objectives. The primary focus of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the John Henry Active Coping scale (JHAC12) among an urban middle-aged sample of African Americans and white Americans. Design. The sample consisted of 75 African Americans and 129 white Americans from South Florida ranging in age from 25 to 54 years. Subjects completed the JHAC12, the Life Orientation Test (LOT), Coping Orientation to Problems Encountered (COPE) subscales, and the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability scale. Results. Major findings supported the validity and reliability of the JHAC12 among both African Americans and white Americans. For both the African American and white American subsamples, the JHAC12 was correlated with the active coping and suppression of competing activities subscales of the COPE and negatively correlated with the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability scale. In the African American subsample the JHAC12 was positively correlated with the LOT. The JHAC12 was also negatively associated with the behavioral disengagement subscale of the COPE among white Americans. Multiple regression analyses revealed that the proportion of variance in the JHAC12 explained by the various subscales of the COPE, Marlowe-Crowne, and the LOT was 43% for African Americans and 20% for white Americans. Factor analyses suggested two similar and meaningful factors among the African American and white American subsamples. Finally, Cronbach alpha reliabilities revealed similar subsample coefficients. Discussion. The implications of the findings are discussed in terms of the JHAC12's ability to assess the construct of active coping among African Americans and white Americans.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)147-161
Number of pages15
JournalEthnicity and Health
Volume8
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - May 2003

Keywords

  • African Americans
  • John Henry Active Coping scale
  • Reliability
  • Validity

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Cultural Studies
  • Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous)
  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

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