Psychometric Properties of the Psychological Factors of Deseases Related Work Inventory: A Study with Workers of the Meat Processing Industry

Abstract This study assesses the psychometric properties of the Inventory of Psychological Factors in Work-Related Illnesses (IP-T), based on the following indicators: criterion validity, construct validity, and reliability. The sample consisted of 355 workers in the meatpacking industry of pork, poultry and other small animals in the west of the state of Paraná. The Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) were also used. All sub-scales of the IP-T proved positive predictors of sick leave due to occupational disease, with moderate sensitivity and specificity. The correlation matrix between the scales was uniform, with coefficients between 0.80 and 0.91, suggesting convergence between the subscales of the IP-T and other scales, but indicating a weak discriminative power. The reliability indices of the sub-scales of the IP-T proved satisfactory: between 0.95 (Anxiety IP-T) and 0.78 (Social Abilities).