Leonardo Capecchi1, Andrea Guazzini2, Chiara Lorini3, Francesca Santomauro3, Guglielmo Bonaccorsi4. 1. Scuola specializzazione in Igiene e medicina preventiva, Università di Firenze, Italy. leonardocapecchi@inwind.it. 2. Dip. Scienze formazione e psicologia, Università di Firenze, Italy. 3. Dip. Scienze della salute, Università di Firenze, Italy. 4. Dip. Medicina sperimentale, Università di Firenze, Italy.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: This work represents the first attempt to validate, for the Italian population, the most widespread health literacy assessment tool: the Newest Vital Sign (NVS). DESIGN: The UK version of this tool was adapted for Italy using a translation/back-translation process. A web-based survey was then administered to a multidisciplinary panel of experts to assess its face validity. Finally, a preliminary study of construct validity was conducted, focusing on efficiency, comprehensibility, reliability, and sensitivity of the items of the test. For the evaluation of these dimensions we adopted Pearson's r correlation and calculated the average scores obtained for the subscales. RESULTS: Data analysis shows that the NVS-IT can be considered, under every aspect, an adequate tool for the assessment of individual health literacy grade level, given the optimal correlation among the experts' judgments and the average scores above the acceptability threshold. CONCLUSION: Our study aims to encourage use of the NVS for the Italian population and, furthermore, introduce a scientific approach to health literacy, an issue that is gaining interest even in our country, though, to date, this has mainly resulted in the production of theoretical works.
OBJECTIVE: This work represents the first attempt to validate, for the Italian population, the most widespread health literacy assessment tool: the Newest Vital Sign (NVS). DESIGN: The UK version of this tool was adapted for Italy using a translation/back-translation process. A web-based survey was then administered to a multidisciplinary panel of experts to assess its face validity. Finally, a preliminary study of construct validity was conducted, focusing on efficiency, comprehensibility, reliability, and sensitivity of the items of the test. For the evaluation of these dimensions we adopted Pearson's r correlation and calculated the average scores obtained for the subscales. RESULTS: Data analysis shows that the NVS-IT can be considered, under every aspect, an adequate tool for the assessment of individual health literacy grade level, given the optimal correlation among the experts' judgments and the average scores above the acceptability threshold. CONCLUSION: Our study aims to encourage use of the NVS for the Italian population and, furthermore, introduce a scientific approach to health literacy, an issue that is gaining interest even in our country, though, to date, this has mainly resulted in the production of theoretical works.
Authors: Guglielmo Bonaccorsi; Francesca Pieralli; Maddalena Innocenti; Chiara Milani; Marco Del Riccio; Martina Donzellini; Lorenzo Baggiani; Chiara Lorini Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2019-10-08 Impact factor: 3.390