RESUMO
It is crucial to assess communication skills among health workers using valid culture-based instruments. This study aimed to develop and assess psychometric properties of the Interpersonal Communication Skills Scale among Zanjan Health Volunteers. In this study, a total of 191 health volunteers participated in a self-rating assessment of the Communication Skills Scale [CSS]. Moreover, 14 experts were asked to rate each item based on the relevance, clarity, and simplicity. Through a literature review, we developed an instrument with 43 items. The validity of the instrument was determined using the impact item method, content validity ratio [CVR], content validity index [CVI], face validity and exploratory factor analysis. Reliability of the instrument was reported by Alpha Cronbach coefficient. The CSS finally contained 35 items, divided into two categories: general and specific communication skills. Of 43 items, those with impact item index over 1.5, CVR over 0.51, and CVI over 0.79 were considered as valid; while the rest were discarded resulting in a 35-item scale. Factor analysis was carried out to determine the relationship among the items of the CSS. Exploratory factor analysis reduced the list of items to 30, which were divided into seven groups with a minimum eigenvalue of 1 for each factor, capable of predicting 68.8% of the variance. Internal reliability of the scale was determined by alpha Cronbach coefficient [0.91]. The results of this study indicated that the CSS is a valid and reliable instrument for assessment of the communication skills among health volunteers in Zanjan. These findings could be used for developing similar instruments in other health worker groups
RESUMO
With no effective vaccine for prevention or a definite cure for treatment, health education is considered the most effective intervention against HIV. Using a valid tool to evaluate the effect of health education interventions is an inevitable necessity. The aim of this study was to design a tool and to assess its validity and reliability based on native culture characterization in order to evaluate the health belief model constructs about AIDS. 480 women covered by health bases of the city of Zanjan, in the age group of 20-30 years, married, and with at least first middle school education participated in this cross-sectional study. After reviewing the literature, the tool was designed and its validity and reliability was approved based on psychometric processes and feedback from the target group and a panel of experts through calculating the content validity ratio, content validity index, exploratory factor analysis, and determining internal consistency. The validity of 37 items were assessed and selected through calculating the index score of the item effect above 1.5, content validity index ratio greater than 0.49, and content validity index higher than 0.79 and by using exploratory factor analysis with a special value greater than 1; seven factors and 34 items were kept and classified into five categories based on literature review and content items. The reliability of the research tool was calculated with Cronbach's alpha equal to 0.82. The results of this study provide appropriate evidence about the strength of structural factors and the reliability of the assessment tool for structures of health belief models about AIDS, and the creation of accessibility to a reliable tool for assessing the structures of health belief model.