Validation of a self-esteem inventory among bachelor-level students of a medical college in Kathmandu, Nepal

Background The necessity of self-esteem is often discussed and taught but measurements of self-esteem are lacking in Nepal and a locally validated tool is a needed to measure self-esteem among Nepalese people. The aim of this study was to assess the reliability, validity and factorial structure of the Self Esteem Inventory (SEI). Methods A total of 560 undergraduate students participated in the study. Explorative factor analysis was conducted to examine the underlying structure of the SEI. Concurrent validity evidence was gathered by correlating the Self Esteem Inventory with the established Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale (RSES). Results The factor analysis suggested a four-factor solution labelled as Childhood and Family Background, Likeability, Wealth and Financial Background, and Purpose Needs. The SEI showed an overall internal consistency (? = 0.75) with a coefficient alpha of range 0.52–0.71 for the subscales and found a low correlation of the SEI with the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (r=0.368). Conclusion This study provides psychometric properties of 15 items retained from 56 on the original self-esteem scale, developed for the context of Nepal. The SEI is a valid and reliable measure that can be used to study self-esteem.