Transcultural validation and factorial invariance assessment of the EEA Resilience Scale in health sciences students from eight Latin American countries

Resilience is understood as a person’s ability to adapt positively in the face of adversity, overcome difficult situations, and, in many cases, emerge stronger from them. The objective of this study was to conduct a transcultural validation of the Engineering, Ecological and Adaptive Resilience Scale in health sciences students from eight Latin American countries. A total of 18,528 students participated in instrumental cross-sectional design. Internal structure was assessed through confirmatory factor analysis, reliability was estimated using the omega coefficient, factorial invariance by sex and country was examined, sex differences were analyzed, and percentile norms were established. The three-dimensional structure of the EEA Resilience Scale showed adequate fit indices in all countries and in the total sample, although Ecuador, Panama, and Peru exhibited Root Mean Square Error of Approximation values slightly above expected thresholds. Reliability was satisfactory, except in El Salvador. Strict invariance by sex and country was confirmed. Country and sex differences showed trivial effect sizes. Percentile-based norms were proposed at five levels. Overall, the findings indicate that the EEA Resilience Scale is a valid, reliable, and transculturally robust measure for assessing resilience. The scope of the study is discussed.