Validation of a Questionnaire Designed to Study Knowledge, Attitudes, and Habits Related to Sun Exposure Among Young...

Skin cancer prevention campaigns in schools have been shown to be both effective and cost-effective. The success of such programs depends on the use of an appropriate design informed by a prior survey of the target population (pupils, teachers, and parents). There are, however, very few validated Spanish-language questionnaires designed to study the habits and knowledge of this population with respect to sun exposure in childhood and none designed for use with a young adult population.

To construct and validate a questionnaire designed to explore sun exposure behaviors in a young adult population.

Two questionnaires were developed, one for adults (18+) and the other for young adults (11-17); both included demographic information, skin color, Fitzpatrick skin type, and history of sunburn as well as questions on knowledge, attitudes and practices related to sun exposure. The content was then piloted and its validity analyzed. The subsequent validation study was divided into 2 phases as follows: 1) analysis of the validity and internal consistency of the items in a cross-sectional study of 1,482 adults and adolescents, using exploratory factor analysis to test construct validity and Cronbach α to measure internal consistency; and 2) evaluation of test-retest reliability in 39 individuals.

The pilot study demonstrated the content validity of both questionnaires. Principal component analysis revealed that 2 components in each of the dimensions studied accounted for over 50% of the variance. A good correlation was found between the items studied. Validity was demonstrated in the first phase of the analysis with a Cronbach α of between 0.45 and 0.8 for all components except knowledge (0.335). In the second phase, test-retest reliability was demonstrated (absolute agreement>60%).

The psychometric properties of the questionnaire make it a valid and reliable tool for the study of knowledge, attitudes, and habits with respect to sun exposure in the young adult school population.