Table 1_Validity and measurement invariance of the Screening Instrument for Students At-Risk of Dropping Out in health sciences students.docx

Measurement invariance (configural, metric, and scalar) was examined across institutional context, gender, and working status. Latent mean differences were subsequently estimated.</p>Results<p>The three-factor model showed an acceptable fit (CFI = 0.964, TLI = 0.954, SRMR = 0.057, RMSEA = 0.080). Factor loadings were significant and substantial (λ = 0.706–0.964).

Internal consistency was high across subscales (ω = 0.863–0.978; α = 0.860–0.978). AVE values exceeded 0.50, and HTMT values were below 0.85, supporting convergent and discriminant validity. Measurement invariance was supported across all grouping variables (ΔCFI ≤ 0.006; ΔRMSEA ≤ 0.005).

Latent mean comparisons indicated that students from the participating public university reported higher levels of satisfaction with education, academic burnout, and dropout intention than those from the participating private university. Female students showed lower dropout intention than males.</p>Conclusions<p>The instrument demonstrated adequate psychometric properties and measurement invariance across key groups, supporting its use for comparative analyses.

These findings support its use for assessing and comparing satisfaction with education, academic burnout, and dropout intention among health sciences students. However, these constructs, particularly dropout intention, should not be interpreted as equivalent to actual dropout risk. Further longitudinal research is needed to determine its ability to predict actual dropout and support individual-level screening decisions.</p>