STRESS AND COPING SCALE VALIDATION IN SALTWATER AQUACULTURE OCCUPATIONS

Abstract

Saltwater aquaculture workers self-report high levels of occupational strain due to physio physical and environmental factors, alongside economic volatility. This study aims to create and test a Stress and Coping Scale specifically for saltwater aquaculture workers. This study followed a structured process of item generation, expert review, pilot testing, along with a survey of 200 workers. Psychometric evaluation focused on confirming the measurements of the aquaculture stress scale through reliability assessment and exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. The scale showed high reliability with root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA, 0.048), Comparative Fit Index (CFI, 0.94), and Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI, 0.92), supporting the proposed factor structure of five internal components: workload stress, environmental stress, emotional coping, practical coping, and supportive coping. Stressors unique to aquaculture work were accurately measured, demonstrating the scale's validity. Furthermore, the scale holds potential for enhancing occupational health analysis and targeted strategic intervention in the aquaculture sector.