Development and psychometric evaluation of a questionnaire for assessment of exposure to chemical hazards in operating room nurses

Abstract

BackgroundOccupational hazards are a significant cause of death in the world. Healthcare workers are highly exposed to a variety of physical, chemical, biological, ergonomic and psychological risks. Chemical hazards are one of the threatening factors for operating room nurses and cause many complications for their health. ObjectivesThe present study aimed at developing the psychometric properties of a questionnaire for evaluation of exposure to chemical hazards in operating room nurses. MethodsThe present methodological study was performed in two stages: first, the items of the questionnaire were developed based on the findings of a qualitative study and a literature review; and second, the psychometric properties of the questionnaire were measured using the methods to evaluate face, content, and construct validities. To assess construct validity of the questionnaire, the researchers measured divergent validity. The reliability was measured through an assessment of the internal homogeneity and consistency of the questionnaire. ResultsIn the first stage of the study, 35 items were developed according to the results of a qualitative study, review of relevant literature and several meetings with experts. The content validity ratio (CVR) of all the items was greater than 0.49. The content validity index (CVI) of all the items was over 0.79. The average CVI (S-CVI/Ave) of the questionnaire with 13 items was 0.98. Kuder-Richardson coefficient for the internal homogeneity of the instrument was found to be 0.70 and the results of the test–retest showed its consistency to be 0.88. ConclusionsThe results of the current study showed that the present questionnaire is sufficiently valid and reliable to evaluate the exposure to chemical hazards in operating room nurses.