Sandra B. Morales-García

Dr. Sandra B. Morales-García

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Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

4Years (2023-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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23 May 2024 in Behavioral Sciences
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
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Wilter C. Morales GarcíaWilter C. Morales García
Wilter C. Morales García
LSLiset Z. Sairitupa-Sanchez
Liset Z. Sairitupa-Sanchez
SMSandra B. Morales-García
Sandra B. Morales-García
MMMardel Morales-García
Mardel Morales-García
Background: The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into various aspects of daily life has sparked growing interest in understanding public attitudes toward this technology. Despite advancements in tools to assess these perceptions, there remains a need for culturally adapted instruments, particularly in specific contexts like that of Peruvian nurses. Objective: To evaluate the psychometric properties of the AIAS-4 in a sample of Peruvian nurses. Methods: An instrumental design was employed, recruiting 200 Peruvian nurses. The Attitude toward Artificial Intelligence in Spanish (AIAS-S), a cultural and linguistic adaptation of the AIAS-4, involved data analysis using descriptive statistics, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and invariance tests. Results: The Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) confirmed a unidimensional factor structure with an excellent model fit (χ2 = 0.410, df = 1, p = 0.522, CFI = 1.00, TLI = 1.00, RMSEA = 0.00, SRMR = 0.00). The scale demonstrated high internal consistency (α = 0.94, ω = 0.91). Tests of invariance from configural to strict confirmed that the scale is stable across different demographic subgroups. Conclusions: The AIAS-S proved to be a psychometrically solid tool for assessing attitudes toward AI in the context of Peruvian nurses, providing evidence of validity, reliability, and gender invariance. This study highlights the importance of having culturally adapted instruments to explore attitudes toward emerging technologies in specific groups.

9 August 2023 in Behavioral Sciences
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
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EHElbert Huamán-Tapia
Elbert Huamán-Tapia
RARobinson B. Almanza-Cabe
Robinson B. Almanza-Cabe
LSLiset Z. Sairitupa-Sanchez
Liset Z. Sairitupa-Sanchez
SMSandra B. Morales-García
Sandra B. Morales-García
OROriana Rivera-Lozada
Oriana Rivera-Lozada
Wilter C. Morales GarcíaWilter C. Morales García
Wilter C. Morales García
Background: The academic and emotional challenges faced by medical students can affect critical thinking and may also contribute to the development of increased generalized anxiety. Similarly, critical thinking and generalized anxiety can impact study satisfaction through the mediating mechanism of academic self-efficacy. Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the mediating role of academic self-efficacy between critical thinking and generalized anxiety in study satisfaction among medical students. Methods: A cross-sectional and explanatory study was conducted involving 259 Peruvian medical students aged between 18 and 35 (M = 20.29, SD = 2.84). The evaluation was based on self-reported questionnaires covering critical thinking, generalized anxiety, academic self-efficacy, and study satisfaction. Furthermore, a structural equation modeling (SEM) and mediation approach was employed to examine the relationships between variables. Results: The results showed an adequate fit of the model [χ2 (87) = 155, p < 0.001, CFI = 0.93, TLI = 0.92, RMSEA = 0.05 (CI: 0.04–0.07), SRMR = 0.07], demonstrating the impact of critical thinking and generalized anxiety. It was confirmed that academic self-efficacy has a positive effect on study satisfaction. Moreover, the mediating role of academic self-efficacy was confirmed between critical thinking and study satisfaction, as well as between generalized anxiety and study satisfaction. Conclusions: Due to the high academic load on medical students, academic self-efficacy plays a mediating role in the relationship between critical thinking, generalized anxiety, and satisfaction with studies. The development of educational strategies will help to promote critical thinking and academic self-efficacy, as well as provide support to students with generalized anxiety, to enhance study satisfaction.

12 April 2024 in Behavioral Sciences
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
Jai Jarlin Pascual-MariñoJai Jarlin Pascual-Mariño
Jai Jarlin Pascual-Mariño
MMMardel Morales-García
Mardel Morales-García
LSLiset Z. Sairitupa-Sanchez
Liset Z. Sairitupa-Sanchez
OBOscar Javier Mamani Benito
Oscar Javier Mamani Benito
PRPercy Ruiz
Percy Ruiz
Wilter C. Morales GarcíaWilter C. Morales García
Wilter C. Morales García
Background: Medical education represents a complex field of study, influenced by various psychological, demographic, and contextual factors. Academic motivation, essential for educational success, has been linked to critical decisions in medical careers and can be modulated by contextual elements such as socioeconomic and geographical environments. The theory of self-determination has provided a solid framework for understanding the multidimensional nature of motivation. Objective: To evaluate the psychometric properties of a Spanish version of the Short Scale of Academic Motivation among Peruvian medical students. Methods: Using an instrumental design, the factorial structure, reliability, and gender invariance of the SAMS-S were assessed. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to validate the scale’s structure based on seven dimensions. Additionally, reliability was assessed through Cronbach’s alpha coefficient and omega coefficient, and gender invariance was determined through multi-group confirmatory factor analysis. Results: The Peruvian version of the SAMS-S showed a good fit in the CFA with satisfactory goodness-of-fit indices. However, challenges in discriminant validity among certain dimensions were detected, suggesting the presence of a second-order factor. The proposed second-order model yielded an adequate fit (χ2 = 198.26, df = 70, CFI = 0.92, TLI = 0.90, RMSEA = 0.08 [90% CI: 0.07–0.1], SRMR = 0.07), validating the factorial structure of the SAMS-S. The scale’s reliability and its subscales were within acceptable ranges. Furthermore, the gender invariance of the SAMS-S was confirmed at all levels, from configural to strict. Conclusions: The second-order model of the SAMS-S presents as a valid and reliable tool for measuring academic motivation among medical students in Peru. Its robustness and adaptability make it relevant for future research in similar educational contexts and can serve as a basis for interventions aimed at improving academic motivation in this specific group.

12 February 2026 in Behavioral Sciences
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
LSLiset Z. Sairitupa-Sanchez
Liset Z. Sairitupa-Sanchez
SMSandra B. Morales-García
Sandra B. Morales-García
OROriana Rivera-Lozada
Oriana Rivera-Lozada
Wilter C. Morales GarcíaWilter C. Morales García
Wilter C. Morales García
Background: Depression, anxiety, and stress are common disorders among school adolescents, affecting their emotional well-being and academic performance. In Peru, there is a lack of brief, validated instruments to detect these symptoms in educational settings, which limits timely intervention. Objective: To adapt and validate the Spanish version of the 8-item Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-8) in Peruvian school adolescents. Methods: A total of 801 Peruvian adolescents between 11 and 18 years of age (M = 14.04; SD = 1.54) participated. An instrumental design was used, including translation and cultural adaptation of the DASS-8. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), reliability estimates (α and ω), and factorial invariance testing by sex, stage of adolescence, type of institution, and place of residence were conducted. Results: The model showed excellent fit (χ2 = chi-square)(17) = 48.000, Comparative Fit Index (CFI) = 0.99, Tucker–Lewis Index (TLI) = 0.98, Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) = 0.05, and Standardized Root Mean Square Residual (SRMR) = 0.01. The subscales demonstrated high reliability: Depression (α = 0.90; ω = 0.90), Anxiety (α = 0.90; ω = 0.90), and Stress (α = 0.87; ω = 0.87), with an overall α of 0.95. Strict invariance was supported by gender and type of institution, and scalar invariance was supported across stages of adolescence and place of residence. Conclusions: The Spanish DASS-8 is a valid, reliable, and useful tool for screening emotional symptoms in Peruvian school adolescents. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate the psychometric properties of the DASS-8 in Latin American school adolescents.

8 April 2026 in Healthcare
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
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JLJessica J. Lucchini-Paredes
Jessica J. Lucchini-Paredes
Alcides Flores-ParedesAlcides Flores-Paredes
Alcides Flores-Paredes
JPJosué Pilco Pezo
Josué Pilco Pezo
GPGutember Peralta-Eugenio
Gutember Peralta-Eugenio
LSLiset Z. Sairitupa-Sanchez
Liset Z. Sairitupa-Sanchez
Wilter C. Morales GarcíaWilter C. Morales García
Wilter C. Morales García
Background: Adolescent insomnia is a public health concern associated with affective disturbances, poor academic performance, and cardiometabolic risk. In Peru, nighttime screen use, psychosocial stressors, and social inequalities intensify its impact; however, brief, validated screening instruments remain limited. Objective: To translate, culturally adapt, and evaluate the psychometric properties of the Youth Self-rated Insomnia Scale (YSIS) in Peruvian adolescents, examining its internal structure, reliability, and invariance across sex. Methods: An instrumental study was conducted with 300 students aged 13 to 17 years (M = 15.02; SD = 1.07). Descriptive statistics were calculated, and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed using a robust estimator. Reliability was assessed through Cronbach’s alpha (α), McDonald’s omega (ω), and average variance extracted (AVE). Factorial invariance by sex was examined at the configural, metric, scalar, and strict levels. Results: The unidimensional model demonstrated adequate fit (χ2 = 44.55, df = 18, p < 0.001; CFI = 0.97; TLI = 0.95; RMSEA = 0.07; SRMR = 0.04), with factor loadings ranging from 0.47 to 0.76, high internal consistency (α = 0.86; ω = 0.81), and AVE = 0.51. Although the two-factor model showed acceptable global fit indices, it revealed insufficient AVE in one factor (AVE = 0.40) and a high inter-factor correlation (r = 0.93), suggesting a lack of discriminant validity. Factorial invariance across sex was supported at all evaluated levels. Conclusions: The Spanish version of the YSIS demonstrates a unidimensional structure, adequate internal consistency, and factorial invariance across sex, supporting its use as a brief screening tool in clinical and school settings, as well as in epidemiological studies among Peruvian and Latin American adolescents.

13 February 2026 in Nursing Reports
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
IEIrene J. Escalante-Zúñiga
Irene J. Escalante-Zúñiga
EPElizabeth Pérez-Flores
Elizabeth Pérez-Flores
MCMaría Teresa Cabanillas Chavez
María Teresa Cabanillas Chavez
LSLiset Z. Sairitupa-Sanchez
Liset Z. Sairitupa-Sanchez
SMSandra B. Morales-García
Sandra B. Morales-García
Wilter C. Morales GarcíaWilter C. Morales García
Wilter C. Morales García
Background: Burnout and job satisfaction are widely studied phenomena within the field of occupational health, particularly among nursing professionals exposed to high work demands. Work engagement has been identified as a potential mediator that may buffer the negative effects of burnout on job satisfaction. However, in the Peruvian context, empirical evidence on this relational dynamic remains limited. Objective: The objective of this study is to examine the mediating role of work engagement in the relationship between burnout and job satisfaction among Peruvian nurses using a structural equation modeling (SEM) approach. Methods: An explanatory study was conducted with a sample of 230 Peruvian nurses (M = 41.22, SD = 11.65). Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Results: Burnout showed significant negative correlations with work engagement (r = −0.47, p < 0.01) and job satisfaction (r = −0.41, p < 0.01), while work engagement was positively associated with job satisfaction (r = 0.79, p < 0.01). The structural model demonstrated a good fit (CFI = 0.96, TLI = 0.95, RMSEA = 0.06, and SRMR = 0.04). The model also indicated solid overall fit and revealed a significant indirect effect of burnout on job satisfaction through engagement, accounting for approximately 24% of the variance in engagement and 80% of the variance in job satisfaction. Conclusions: The findings confirm that work engagement fully mediates the relationship between burnout and job satisfaction among Peruvian nurses, serving as a key protective psychosocial resource. These results reinforce the Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) model and highlight the importance of implementing organizational interventions aimed at strengthening work engagement as a strategy to improve satisfaction and well-being in demanding healthcare settings.