Development and validation of a scale for measuring social environmental support, survival skills, and subjective well-being among Chinese ethnic minority university students

Abstract

This study developed and validated a new set of questionnaires to measure social environmental support, survival skills, and subjective well-being among Chinese ethnic minority university students. The goal was to create a reliable and culturally specific instrument for evaluating these constructs. The research used a two-part process: An initial survey with 107 participants for Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and reliability tests. A second survey with 113 participants for Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) to confirm the model fit. The EFA confirmed a clear factor structure and led to the removal of eight items. The CFA demonstrated excellent model fit (χ2/df = 1.534; RMSEA = 0.048) and strong convergent validity (AVE > 0.50, CR > 0.70). The scales also showed high internal consistency, with Cronbach's α values all above 0.70. In conclusion, the validated scales are reliable and have strong psychometric properties, filling a research gap for culturally appropriate tools. These instruments can be reliably used in future studies and for practical applications in education, providing valuable support for understanding and improving student well-being.