{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,24]],"date-time":"2026-09-24T05:02:13Z","timestamp":1790226133580,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":36,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,24]],"date-time":"2026-09-24T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1790208000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Med."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Existing measures of professional identity often yield high scores among students that may mask differences. One frequently used measure of professional identity is the one factor 9-item questionnaire MCPIS-9 with a five-point balanced answering scale. The aim of this study was to investigate the performance of the MCPIS-9 compared to a single-item question with five positively unbalanced response options.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>An explorative cross-sectional study inviting all students from all academic years in 11 health and social care programs at one university. Two instruments were used to assess professional identity (response options): the Norwegian version of the 9-item Macleod Clark Professional Identity Scale (MCPIS-9) (strongly disagree, disagree, neither agree nor disagree, agree, strongly agree), and a single-item question, \u201cAll things considered, to what extent do you identify with the profession you are training for?\u201d (not at all, some\u00b8 much, very much, completely). Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Spearman correlation and multivariable regression.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      A total of 864 students from 11 programs participated (mean age 24 years; 77% women). The MCPIS-9 had a mean score of 4.15 (standard deviation 0.54), and the single-item question lower mean score and twice the variation (mean 3.58, standard deviation 0.99). The two measures correlated (Spearman's\n                      <jats:italic>\u03c1<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2009=\u20090.61,\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2009&amp;lt;\u20090.001). Both detected higher professional identity among students in later years, with the single-item question having a large difference (0.68 point from first to final year, MCPIS-9 0.19 point). Multivariable models showed that both measures identified academic year and having the program as first choice, as being the variables most strongly associated with higher professional identity, with the single-item question having larger adjusted coefficients.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The single-item measure showed comparable validity evidence to the MCPIS-9 and produced greater score dispersion in this sample. Given its simplicity and low respondent burden, it may be a useful alternative as and overall measure of professional identity.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fmed.2026.1926091","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,24]],"date-time":"2026-09-24T04:34:47Z","timestamp":1790224487000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Measuring professional identity in health and social care students: single-item question versus the Macleod Clark Professional Identity Scale (MCPIS-9)"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Aslak","family":"Steinsbekk","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Public Health and Nursing, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)","place":["Trondheim, Norway"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Cathinka","family":"Thyness","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Public Health and Nursing, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)","place":["Trondheim, Norway"]},{"name":"Trondheim Municipality","place":["Trondheim, Norway"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hilde","family":"Grimstad","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Public Health and Nursing, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)","place":["Trondheim, Norway"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ragna","family":"Stalsberg","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)","place":["Trondheim, 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