Development and initial validation of the appropriate antibiotic use self-efficacy scale

Area of Science:

• Health Psychology
• Behavioral Science
• Infectious Disease Prevention

Background:

• Existing medication self-efficacy scales do not specifically address appropriate antibiotic use.
• Understanding self-efficacy is crucial for promoting adherence to correct antibiotic regimens.
• Antimicrobial resistance necessitates strategies to improve appropriate antibiotic utilization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate the Appropriate Antibiotic Use Self-Efficacy Scale (AAUSES).
• To assess the psychometric properties of the AAUSES, including reliability and validity.
• To provide a tool for measuring self-efficacy related to appropriate antibiotic use.

Main Methods:

• A 28-item questionnaire was administered to 289 participants recruited via Amazon Mechanical Turk.
• Exploratory factor analysis was conducted on 13 items after refinement.
• Psychometric properties, including internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and convergent, discriminant, and criterion-related validity, were examined.

Main Results:

• A 13-item scale with three factors explaining 65.51% of the variance was retained.
• The AAUSES demonstrated adequate internal consistency and excellent test-retest reliability.
• The scale showed strong evidence of convergent, discriminant, and criterion-related validity.

Conclusions:

• The AAUSES is a psychometrically sound instrument for measuring self-efficacy in appropriate antibiotic use.
• The scale effectively assesses three distinct domains related to appropriate antibiotic use self-efficacy.
• The AAUSES is a valuable tool for both clinical and research applications.