Factorial validation and invariance of the Academic Procrastination Scale in Colombian students

Abstract Background Academic procrastination is an increasingly pertinent issue among university students, impacting their academic performance, interpersonal relationships, and emotional well-being. However, brief assessment tools for timely intervention are scarce, especially in the Colombian context. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the psychometric properties of the academic procrastination scale and analyze its relationship with mental health and life satisfaction. Methods A total of 805 Colombian university students were selected through convenience sampling. Their ages ranged from 17 to 35 years, with an average age of 20.4 years (SD = 3.0).  Results The findings reveal a modified two-factor structure of the scale, with adequate fit indices (χ2 = 65.65, df = 13, p < .001; CFI = .96, TLI = .93, RMSEA = .07 (90% CI .06 − .09), SRMR = .03) and loadings above .50. Furthermore, both factors of the scale exhibited high reliability, with Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s omega coefficients greater than .80. The scale was also found to be gender invariant. Lastly, academic procrastination correlates positively with mental health and negatively with life satisfaction, while mental health relates negatively to life satisfaction. Conclusion The Modified Academic Procrastination Scale (EPA-C) demonstrates adequate psychometric properties and is gender-invariant for assessing academic procrastination among Colombian university students. Moreover, it has an impact on the mental health and life satisfaction of these students.