Psychometric properties of the adolescent stress questionnaire–short form (ASQ-14) in Peruvian adolescents

Background Stress during adolescence may arise from multiple academic, family, interpersonal, and personal demands and can be associated with emotional distress and difficulties in daily adjustment. Therefore, brief instruments with adequate psychometric evidence are needed for its assessment in specific cultural contexts. Objective To examine the psychometric properties of the Adolescent Stress Questionnaire–Short Form (ASQ-14) in Peruvian adolescents. Methods An instrumental, cross-sectional study was conducted with 982 secondary school students aged 12–17 years from public schools across three regions of Peru (coast, highlands, and jungle). Evidence of validity based on internal structure was evaluated using confirmatory factor analysis with polychoric correlations and WLSMV estimation. Reliability was assessed using McDonald's omega and Cronbach's alpha coefficients. Convergent validity evidence was examined through correlations between ASQ-14 scores and the DASS-21 subscales. Measurement invariance was tested across sex, region, and age group (12–14 vs. 15–17 years). Item response theory analysis using a graded response model was also conducted as complementary evidence. Results The unidimensional model of the ASQ-14 showed adequate overall fit ( χ 2 = 505.48, df = 77, p < .001; RMSEA = 0.08, SRMR = 0.07, CFI = 0.96, TLI = 0.96) and satisfactory internal consistency ( ω = 0.85; α = 0.85). Associations with the DASS-21 subscales were positive and of moderate magnitude ( ρ = 0.47–0.51), providing evidence of convergent validity. Multigroup analyses supported configural, metric, and scalar invariance across sex and age, and partial invariance across region after freeing the loading of item EA8. The graded response model provided complementary item-level information, although its global fit indices did not meet all predefined criteria. Conclusion The ASQ-14 showed satisfactory psychometric properties for assessing adolescent stress in the Peruvian sample.