[Development of the shortened scale for health interest].

Abstract

Objective　Addressing the needs of a population that is indifferent to health is becoming increasingly important. Previous research has developed the "Interest in Health Scale," which assesses the level of interest in health. It comprises three subscales; health consciousness, motivation, and value. This study aimed to enhance the usability of the 12-item Interest in Health Scale by creating a shortened version.Methods　Using data from a web survey of 800 participants, factor analysis was conducted on the 12-item Interest in Health Scale to select items for the shortened version. From the factor analysis, two items were selected from each subscale based on their factor loadings to create a 6-item scale, and a 4-item scale was created, excluding two items from the health value subscale. We evaluated the reliability of the newly created shortened version, its correlation with the 12-item version, and its validity through correlations with health literacy (CCHL scale) and lifestyle habits (diet, exercise, alcohol consumption, and smoking).Results　Cronbach's alpha was 0.72 and 0.80 for the 6- and 4-item scale, respectively. The correlation coefficients between the 12-item and 6- and 4-item versions were 0.94 and 0.88, respectively. The correlation with health literacy were 0.28, 0.27, and 0.22 for the 12-, 6-, and 4-item versions, respectively. The correlation coefficients for the four lifestyle habits were similar across all the three scales.Conclusion　This study created 6- and 4-item versions of the scale with reliability and validity comparable to that of the 12-item version. While the 6-item version, containing all three subscales, is preferable for measuring health interest more easily, the 4-item version, which excludes health value for convenience, can be used.