[Development and validation of a health information-seeking behavior questionnaire for patients with non-communicable chronic diseases].

Abstract

Objectives: To develop a health information-seeking behavior (HISB) questionnaire for patients with non-communicable chronic diseases and evaluate its reliability and validity.

Methods: Based on Wilson's information behavior model, a pre-liminary questionnaire was developed through literature review, team discussions, two rounds of expert consultations, and a pilot survey. A convenience sample of 368 patients with non-communicable chronic diseases was recruited from medical institutions in Hangzhou, Jinhua, Lishui, Ningbo, Taizhou, and Wenzhou of Zhejiang Province, between March-May 2023 and August-September 2025. The dimension of health information-seeking channels was analyzed using descriptive statistics. Item analysis for the other three dimensions was performed using item-total correlation and critical ratio methods. Reliability was evaluated using Cronbach's α coefficient and split-half reliability. Content validity was assessed by expert ratings, and structural validity was evaluated using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA).

Results: The final question-naire comprised 30 items across four dimensions: health information needs, health information-seeking channels, health information search and acquisition, and health information evaluation. The overall Cronbach's α coefficient was 0.970, and the split-half reliability was 0.781. The scale-level content validity index was 0.830, and the item-level content validity index ranged from 0.890 to 1.000. EFA extracted three common factors with a cumulative variance contribution rate of 75.181%. CFA indicated a good model fit.

Conclusions: The HISB questionnaire developed in this study demonstrates good reliability and validity. It can serve as a reliable and valid tool to assess HISB among patients with chronic non-communicable diseases, providing a basis for healthcare professionals to develop targeted health education interventions.