Preliminary Psychometrics and Potential Big Data Uses of the U.S. Army Family Global Assessment Tool
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Military Behavioral Health ISSN: 2163-5781 (Print) 2163-5803 (Online) Journal homepage: https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/umbh20 Preliminary Psychometrics and Potential Big Data Uses of the U.S. Army Family Global Assessment Tool Kathrine S. Sullivan, Stacy A. Hawkins, Tamika D. Gilreath & Carl A. Castro To cite this article: Kathrine S. Sullivan, Stacy A. Hawkins, Tamika D. Gilreath & Carl A. Castro (2020) Preliminary Psychometrics and Potential Big Data Uses of the U.S. Army Family Global Assessment Tool, Military Behavioral Health, 8:1, 74-85, DOI: 10.1080/21635781.2019.1676334 To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/21635781.2019.1676334 Published online: 18 Oct 2019. Submit your article to this journal Article views: 91 View related articles View Crossmark data Citing articles: 1 View citing articles Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at https://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=umbh20 MILITARY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH 2020, VOL. 8, NO. 1, 74–85 https://doi.org/10.1080/21635781.2019.1676334 Preliminary Psychometrics and Potential Big Data Uses of the U.S. Army Family Global Assessment Tool Kathrine S. Sullivana, Stacy A. Hawkinsb, Tamika D. Gilreathc, and Carl A. Castrod aSilver School of Social Work, New York University, New York, New York; bResearch Facilitation Laboratory, Army Analytics Group, Monterey, California; cDepartment of Health and Kinesiology, Transdisciplinary Center for Health Equity Research, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas; dCenter for Innovation and Research on Veterans and Military Families, University of Southern California Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, Los Angeles, California ABSTRACT KEYWORDS The purpose of the present study is to explore the psychometric properties of the U.S. Family; Marriage Relations/ Army’s Family Global Assessment Tool (GAT), which assesses the psychosocial fitness of Divorce/Remarriage; Army families. With data from 1,692 Army spouses, we examined the structure, reliability Parenthood/Parent-Adult Child Relations; Army; and validity of the GAT, using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and two validity studies. Spouses; Resilience; Fifty-three items and 9 factors were retained following CFA. This model provided a good fit, Psychometrics and scales demonstrated strong internal consistency. Bivariate correlations and results from a theoretically driven model provide preliminary evidence of validity. Findings support the usefulness of the GAT for measuring psychosocial fitness of Army spouses. The U.S. Army’s Comprehensive Soldier and Family current study is to 1) explore the underlying structure Fitness (CSF2) program was created in response to of the Family GAT; 2) examine the usefulness of indi- mounting evidence suggesting that U.S. involvement vidual items in the instrument; and 3) to establish in two protracted overseas conflicts was taking a toll preliminary evidence of reliability and validity, which on the psychological health of soldiers and their fami- can be built on in future research. lies. This program was tasked with evaluating the physical, social, emotional, family and spiritual health Theoretical foundations of the family GAT of Army families and implementing universal preven- tion efforts to bolster soldier and family resilience The Soldier and Family Global Assessment Tools are (Peterson, Park, & Castro, 2011). Critical to this effort grounded in positive psychology, which seeks to iden- was a valid and reliable instrument that could effi- tify and promote characteristics that enable individu- ciently measure these domains as both a means to als and communities to thrive (Seligman & guide intervention selection and to measure the effect- Csikszentmihalyi, 2000). As such, these instruments iveness of prevention strategies (Cornum, Matthews, assess positive emotions, personal attributes, and & Seligman, 2011). Drawing when possible on previ- resilient functioning, which contribute to a “full life” ously validated measures, the Soldier and Family (Peterson, Park, & Seligman, 2005). On the Family Global Assessment Tools (GATs) were created by an GAT, these positive attributes include character expert committee, with input from the military, aca- strengths, optimism, positive coping, and healthy fam- demia and the private sector, to meet this need ily and relationship functioning. Additionally, several (Peterson et al., 2011). The Soldier GAT has recently scales measure aspects of negative explanatory style, undergone psychometric validation; the results of this which has its roots in learned helplessness theory effort support the ongoing use of the Soldier GAT as (Abramson, Seligman, & Teasdale, 1978). On the an assessment tool (Vie, Scheier, Lester, & Seligman, Family GAT, these include attributes such as depres- 2016). This effort is a secondary analysis of Family sion, catastrophic thinking, and loneliness. GAT data by authors uninvolved with the original The Family GAT survey was designed as a self- development of the instrument. The purpose of the development tool and was not initially intended for CONTACT Kathrine S. Sullivan [email protected] New York University, Silver School of Social Work, 1 Washington Square North, New York, NY 10003 ß 2019 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC MILITARY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH 75 research purposes (Lester, McBride, & Cornum, 2013). quality and specificity of research conducted with As such, there is little existing information regarding this population. the validity, reliability, and underlying structure of this instrument, which limits its usefulness for Methods research or program evaluation. However, because collecting original data from military families presents Participants and procedures logistical and ethical challenges (Castro & Sullivan, The Family GAT is completed on a voluntary basis by 2018), the richness of the information we have about Army spouses, who access the survey by visiting a this population lags far behind the generation of new hosting website. The Family GAT is extensively publi- knowledge about soldiers (Park, 2011). Thus, efforts cized as a component of the Army’s Ready and to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Family Resilient Campaign. Spouses learn about the survey GAT are critical. Once validated, this survey offers a through Army publicity as well as through their unique new avenue through which to explore the spouse or family readiness group. At the conclusion functioning of military family systems, particularly of the survey, spouses are given feedback about their during this period of increased operational tempo responses and links to online learning modules to when evidence suggests that some military families address identified challenges. Upon completion of the may be struggling (Card et al., 2011; Lester & Family GAT, respondents have the option to give con- Flake, 2013). sent for their de-identified data to be used for research. Only data from spouses who provided con- sent are used in these analyses. Secondary analyses of Big data uses for the family GAT GAT data were approved by the Army Research, A particularly useful aspect of the GAT surveys is the Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC) IRB capacity to connect these measures of resilience and as well as the IRB at the University of psychosocial functioning with objective information Southern California. regarding soldiers’ service that is gathered by the Department of Defense (DoD). These data are stored Sample and accessible in the Army’s Person-Event Data Environment (PDE), which is a cloud-based, virtual To be included in the current sample, participants had to take the Family GAT between October 2013, environment that facilitates data access and linkage when respondents could opt in to research, and across the Army and DoD (Vie, Griffith, Scheier, December 31, 2016. While spouses can take the Lester, & Seligman, 2013; Vie et al., 2015). The term Family GAT as many times as they choose, only first “big data” has been used to describe the “collection GAT completions were used in the current analyses, and integration of datasets from multiple disparate which resulted in a total of 2,777 unique Family GAT sources, covering various unique topics, to provide a participants, approximately 1% of the population of more rich and robust picture of individuals, groups, Army spouses. Additionally, to be able to link survey ” and systems (Hawkins et al., 2017, p. 2). Using the responses to DoD administrative and health data, only PDE, Family GAT information can be linked to over spouses who could be associated with an Army spon- 350 manpower, service, personnel, financial, behav- sor were included in the dataset. This resulted in a ioral health, and medical datasets, which can provide loss of 216 participants for a total of 2,561. Family objective information regarding exposure to risk fac- GAT takers who had their own sponsor ID number tors including family separations, reunifications, and and could be linked to a spouse with a sponsor ID relocations. were determined to be in a dual military relationship, The focus of the present study is to explore the where both spouses are military service members. underlying structure of the Family GAT and establish These 238 participants were retained in the dataset. preliminary reliability and validity. Ultimately, the Finally, Family GAT takers who had their own spon- goal is to provide evidence of acceptable psychometric sor ID number but could not be linked to a spouse properties such that Family GAT survey data