Development and psychometric properties of a health knowledge test on six chronic conditions

Objectives: The aim of this study was to develop and test the psychometric properties of a health knowledge test on common chronic conditions in the general population. Methods: Operationalization based on a facet design led to 108 knowledge items on six conditions: cardiovascular disease, cancer, respiratory diseases, musculoskeletal system conditions, depression, and chronic pain. We refined the items (qualitative study 1; N = 20) and selected the items by applying a mixed Rasch model (study 2; N = 861). The psychometric properties (Study 3; N = 4144) of the remaining 24 items were tested using exploratory (split sample N = 2110) and confirmatory factor analyses (split sample N = 2034). Results: 108 items were refined within study 1, 24 of which were selected in study 2. In study 3, a general health knowledge factor was confirmed based on six subscales on specific conditions. Convergent validity was confirmed by the overlap of health knowledge with education and perceived health knowledge. Conclusion: The development and evaluation of the psychometric properties of a health knowledge test on six common conditions will improve future research on health knowledge. Practical implications: Chronic conditions present a challenge; assessing the level of health knowledge is the first step to prevent and to cope with these conditions. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.