Abstract
This study aimed to develop and validate a scale with appropriate psychometric properties to measure satisfaction with cleanliness in adults from San Román, Peru. Using a quantitative, non-experimental, cross-sectional design, data were collected from 400 participants for exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and 466 for confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The resulting 19-item Cleanliness Satisfaction Scale (ESL-AK) comprises four dimensions: Fresh Waste, Dust Residues, Cleaning Quality, and Visual Impact. The scale demonstrated strong content validity (Aiken’s V = 0.95) and an adequate factorial structure (KMO = 0.931; Bartlett’s test p <.001; total variance explained = 58.3%). CFA confirmed the model’s good fit (CFI = 0.960, TLI = 0.953, RMSEA = 0.075, SRMR = 0.038), with factor loadings ranging from λ = 0.63 to λ = 0.91. Reliability analyses indicated high internal consistency (α = 0.862 to 0.902; ω = 0.864 to 0.903). Invariance testing across sex-supported configural, metric, and partial scalar invariance (ΔCFI ≤ 0.002) confirms that the scale operates similarly for males and females and enables valid latent mean comparisons. These results support the ESL-AK as a valid and reliable instrument for assessing cleanliness satisfaction. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40359-025-03010-6.