Abstract
Self-management of health requires skills to obtain, process, understand, and use health-related information. Assessment of adolescents’ functional health literacy requires valid, reliable, and low-burden tools. The main objective of this study was to adapt and study the psychometric properties of the Newest Vital Sign for the Portuguese adolescents’ population (NVS-PTeen). Classic psychometric indicators of reliability and validity were combined with item response theory (IRT) analyses in a cross-sectional survey, complemented with a 3-month test-retest assessment. The NVS-PTeen was self-administered to students enrolled in grades 8 to 12 (12 to 17 years old) in a school setting. Overall, 386 students (191 girls) from 16 classes of the same school participated in the study (mean age = 14.5; SD = 1.5). Internal reliability of the NVS-PTeen was α = 0.60. The NVS-PTeen total score was positively and significantly correlated with Portuguese (r = 0.28) and mathematics scores (r = 0.31), school years (r = 0.31), and age (r = 0.19). Similar to the original scale (for the U.S.), the NVS-PTeen is composed of two dimensions, reading-related literacy and numeracy. Temporal reliability is adequate, though with a learning effect. IRT analyses revealed differences in difficulty and discriminative capacity among items, all with adequate outfit and infit values. Results showed that the NVS-PTeen is valid and reliable, sensible to inter-individual educational differences, and adequate for regular screening of functional health literacy in adolescents.
Highlights
Over the past decades, health literacy has become a flourishing field of research.This concept has evolved from a rather simple one, mainly focused on specific health- or disease-related contents, toward a complex construct [1]
Actions addressing health literacy asymmetries between specific groups of adolescents assume a relevant role as cost-effective health promotion strategies in the life span and as avenues toward reduction in health inequities
The significant correlations reported here between Newest Vital Sign (NVS)-PTeen scores and mathematics and Portuguese final classifications put into evidence the role of schools in active health promotion rather than providing the students with specific disease- or health-related information
Summary
Health literacy has become a flourishing field of research This concept has evolved from a rather simple one, mainly focused on specific health- or disease-related contents, toward a complex construct [1]. Health literacy relates to general literacy, as it involves the combination of verbal (reading and writing) and numerical skills with specific health literacy skills to access, understand, appraise, and apply the information gathered in order to make decisions and engage in health behaviors [1,3]. Individuals possessing basic reading, writing, and numeracy skills that are necessary for them to function effectively in everyday situations, including managing their health or disease more show adequate levels of functional health literacy [1,4]. The potential positive effects of health literacy promotion have been increasingly debated and are increasingly influential as a policy priority by decision makers across countries (e.g., [7])
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