Metric Properties of the Infodemic Signs and Symptoms Scale in Brazilian Older Adults

Introduction. Infodemics promote disinformation, triggering serious consequences. It is therefore necessary to evaluate the phenomena associated with infodemics and their effects on mental health. Objective. Construct and analyze the internal structure validity and reliability of the Infodemic Signs and Symptoms Scale (ISSS) in older adults. The ISSS was designed to track signs and symptoms indicative of psychological distress associated with exposure to information on socially critical events. Method. This is a psychometric study of the construction and validation of a measurement instrument. To conduct the study, the ISSS was administered online (web survey) and by phone to 3,003 older adults from different regions of Brazil. Results. The instrument has good reliability (Cronbach’s alpha = .97 and McDonald’s omega = .97) and excellent replicability of the construct, as borne out by the GH index (latent = .982 and observed = .884). Evidence of the quality and efficacy of the measures showed high values for both the factor determination index (.991) and the EAP marginal reliability (.982), sensitivity rate (7.452) and expected percentage of actual differences (98%). Discussion and conclusion. The instrument analyzed in this study fills a gap, as there were no validated instruments for measuring the effects of infodemics on the mental health of older adults. The analyzed evidence indicates that the ISSS has good internal structure validity and reliability for measuring the signs and symptoms of infodemics in older adults. The instrument will assist in screening for the mental distress in older adults caused by infodemics in emergency crisis contexts.