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arXiv · 2405.02853

Development and validation of a short form of the medication literacy scale for Chinese College Students

Chen Zhenzhen·Ren Jiabao·Duan Tingyu·Chen Ke·Hou Ruyi·Li Yimiao·Zeng Leixiao·Meng Xiaoxuan·Wu Yibo·Liu Yu
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Abstract

Medication literacy is integral to health literacy, pivotal for medication safety and adherence. It denotes an individual's capacity to discern, comprehend, and convey medication-related information. Existing scales, however, are time-consuming and predominantly cater to patients and community dwellers, necessitating a more succinct instrument. This study presents the development of a brief Medication Literacy Scale (MLS-14) utilizing classical test theory (CTT) and item response theory (IRT), targeting a college student demographic. The MLS-14's abbreviated version, a 6-item scale (MLS-SF), was distilled through CTT and IRT methodologies, engaging 2431 Chinese college students to scrutinize its psychometric properties. The MLS-SF demonstrated a Cronbach's {\alpha} of 0.765, with three extracted factors via exploratory factor analysis, accounting for 66% of the cumulative variance. All items exhibited factor loadings above 0.5. The scale's three-factor structure was substantiated through confirmatory factor analysis with satisfactory fit indices (chi2/df=5.11, RMSEA=0.063, GFI=0.990, AGFI=0.966, NFI=0.984, IFI=0.987, CFI=0.987). IRT modeling confirmed reasonable discrimination and location parameters for all items, free of differential item functioning (DIF) by gender. Except for items 4 and 10, the remaining items were informative at medium theta levels, indicating their utility in assessing medication literacy efficiently. The developed 6-item Medication Literacy Short Form (MLS-SF) proves to be a reliable and valid instrument for the expedited evaluation of college students' medication literacy, offering a valuable addition to the arsenal of health literacy assessment tools.

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Chen Zhenzhen, Ren Jiabao, Duan Tingyu, Chen Ke, Hou Ruyi, Li Yimiao, Zeng Leixiao, Meng Xiaoxuan, Wu Yibo, Liu Yu. 2024-05-05. Development and validation of a short form of the medication literacy scale for Chinese College Students. https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.02853

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