Development of a questionnaire for problematic social networking sites use: Ensuring content validity through Delphi...

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
• Psychological Assessment
• Digital Health

Background:

• Problematic social network service use (PSNSU) is a growing concern affecting various age groups.
• Existing assessment tools may lack comprehensive content validity or age applicability.
• Understanding the nuances of PSNSU is crucial for effective intervention and research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a questionnaire for assessing problematic social network service use (PSNSU).
• To ensure the questionnaire is applicable to both adolescent and adult populations.
• To establish content validity through expert consensus.

Main Methods:

• A Delphi survey methodology involving 16 experts was conducted over three rounds (April-June 2024).
• The survey collected expert feedback on an initial 59-item PSNSU questionnaire.
• Content validity ratio (CVR), stability, and consensus were calculated to refine the items and domains.

Main Results:

• The initial 59-item questionnaire was refined to a 42-item tool with two domains and 10 subdomains.
• Expert consensus led to high content validity, with an average CVR of 0.99.
• The final questionnaire demonstrated strong consensus (0.97) and stability (0.10).

Conclusions:

• A validated PSNSU questionnaire was successfully developed using the Delphi method.
• The final tool is comprehensive, addressing addictive behaviors and occupational challenges.
• This validated questionnaire can be utilized in clinical settings and research for assessing PSNSU across diverse age groups.