Development of the Health Literacy Scale for Protection Against COVID-19

Introduction: The aim of this cross-sectional methodological design research is to develop the Health Literacy Scale for Protect against COVID-19 and examine its validity and reliability. Methods: The population of the research consisted of participants aged above 18 on 15-30 January 2021 and the sample consisted of 547 individuals. As data collection tools, questions regarding sociodemographic characteristics, Turkey Health Literacy Scale (THLS) and Health Literacy Scale for Protect against COVID-19 to be developed by the researchers were used. The content, construct and criterion validity of the Health Literacy Scale for Protect against COVID-19 were examined. The reliability of the scale was evaluated using Cronbach’s alpha and item-total correlation. Results: Content validity was verified with Content Validity Index (CVI) .97. In the exploratory factor analysis (EFA) of the scale, a single-factor structure with an eigenvalue value greater than 1 and factor loads above 0.60 were found, which explains 70.639% of the total variance. In the confirmatory factor analysis of the scale, it was seen that the Goodness-of-Fit Indices values were at acceptable levels. Criterion validity was supported by a moderate positive correlation (r = .0569, p <0.001) between THLS and Health Literacy Scale for Protect against COVID-19 score. Based on Cronbach’s alpha and item-total correlation results, the item’s reliability was found to be at a satisfactory level. Conclusion: Health Literacy Scale for Protect against COVID-19 is a reliable and valid tool that can be used to evaluate the health literacy of society for protection from COVID-19.