Scale Overview
The Urban Hassles Scale – UHS was developed by David B. Miller, Susan E. Webster, Randall MacIntosh (2002). It is designed to measure Urban daily hassles and chronic stress. The scale is intended for use with Adolescents.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 32 items organized into 4 factors/subscales: Environmental conditions, Interpersonal interactions/surveillance, Safety concerns, Anticipatory victimization.
| Factor / Subscale |
Items |
N |
| Environmental conditions |
7,19,21,28,29,30 |
6 |
| Interpersonal interactions/surveillance |
1,3,4,6,14,15,16,17,18,20,22,23,31,32 |
14 |
| Safety concerns |
8,9,10,11,12,13,26 |
7 |
| Anticipatory victimization |
2,5,24,25,27 |
5 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 0 = Never, 1 = Sometimes, 2 = Often, 3 = Very Often.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 0 to 96. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Urban Stress: 0 – 32
- Moderate Urban Stress: 33 – 64
- High Urban Stress: 65 – 96
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Environmental conditions: .77, Interpersonal interactions/surveillance: .75, Safety concerns: .75, Anticipatory victimization: .69.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.