The Danish Need for Recovery Scale: Spanish Validation and Cultural Adaptation of a Full Form and a Short Form

Abstract

The increasing levels of job demands and work stress experienced daily by workers in multiple contexts have increased the experience of the need for recovery after work. This study aims to provide validity evidence for the Danish Need for Recovery (NFR) Scale. We analyzed the psychometric properties of the scale, its factor structure, internal consistency, measurement invariance, and validity based on relationships with other variables (job stress, general health, and affective states) in two samples of Spanish workers. The results obtained through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses strongly support the unidimensional structure of the Spanish version of the NFR in its full eight-item version after eliminating one item not applicable in our cultural context, with good data fit. The values obtained regarding internal consistency, besides measurement invariance across groups, ensure the scale’s reliability and applicability. The validity and associations with other constructs tested were also confirmed in the hypothesized relationships with the respective variables analyzed. However, the short three-item version does not present a better fit compared to the full version in its Spanish validation. The Spanish adaptation of the Danish NFR scale in its full eight-item version constitutes a reliable and valid instrument for the assessment of this construct. The methodological and practical implications of the Spanish version of the NFR scale are detailed in the discussion.