The athlete psychological well-being inventory: Factor equivalence with the sport injury-related growth inventory

Until now, research on growth following sport injury has relied exclusively on retrospective reports and nomothetic measures drawn from other fields of research. Therefore, to more objectively explore growth following sport injury pre- and post-injury, rather than retrospectively, this study adapts and examines the psychometric properties of the Athlete Psychological Well-Being Inventory (APWBI), which can be used throughout the sport injury process (i.e., prior to and following sport injury). A sample of 164 athletes free from injury (71.3% men; M age = 19.7 years, SD = 2.1) were compared to a sample of 168 athletes with history of previous injury (73.2% men; M age = 19.7 years, SD = 2.1). Multigroup Confirmatory Factor Analysis demonstrated the measurement and factor equivalence between the APWBI and a retrospective measure, the Sport Injury-Related Growth Inventory (SIRGI). The APWBI also showed satisfactory to excellent internal consistency reliability for all its sub-dimensions (“sense of mastery”, “positive relations with others”, “responsibility for one’s health”, “self-awareness”, “emotional ability”, “purpose in life”, “purpose in sport”, and “body awareness”) and for the total score. Analysis of the relationships with other self-report measures (i.e., the Positive Functioning Inventory, the Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Scale, and the Lie Scale) provided convergent and discriminant evidence to support the construct validity of the instrument. To conclude, the APWBI is a valid and reliable instrument for use within English-speaking athletes of various competitive levels (from local/county to international level).