Developing a Measure to Assess General Knowledge for Coeliac Disease

Area of Science:

• Medical Research
• Health Education
• Diagnostic Tools

Background:

• Rising incidence of symptomatic, undiagnosed coeliac disease necessitates better knowledge assessment.
• Understanding coeliac disease is crucial for timely diagnosis and management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and pilot a tool for measuring general knowledge of coeliac disease.
• To create a valid and reliable questionnaire for assessing coeliac disease awareness.

Main Methods:

• A 41-questionnaire was developed from 300 existing questions.
• Pilot testing involved 359 participants, with analysis of 284 completed responses.
• Statistical analyses included internal consistency, correlation, and factor analysis to refine the questionnaire.

Main Results:

• A streamlined 25-question scale was developed by removing low-performing questions.
• The final questionnaire demonstrated validity and identified three sub-scales: basic knowledge, symptoms, and applied knowledge.
• Attrition analysis confirmed no significant differences between completers and dropouts.

Conclusions:

• The 25-question coeliac disease knowledge scale is valid, reliable, and reduces completion time.
• This tool aids in comparing knowledge across populations and identifying specific educational needs.
• It can improve public awareness, guide professional training, and enhance food safety related to coeliac disease.