A Scale Development Study: The Human Papilloma Virus Literacy Scale

PURPOSE: This study aims to develop and validate a reliable and comprehensive scale to measure human papillomavirus (HPV) literacy, addressing its contribution to public health education and intervention strategies. METHODS: A methodological and cross-sectional design study was conducted. Sample consisted of 407 individuals. A HPV literacy scale was developed and psychometric evaluation was conducted including content validity, internal consistency, and exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. RESULTS: Exploratory factor analysis identified a three-factor structure. The three factors explained 66.9% of the total variance. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the three-factor model and demonstrated acceptable model fit (χ²/df = 4.40, RMSEA = .07, CFI = .94, NFI = .92, AGFI = .87, GFI = .89). The internal consistency coefficients of the subscales ranged from .88 to .95. CONCLUSION: According to the analysis, the scale is a valid and reliable tool that can be applied to the Turkish society.