Development and Validation of the Infection Prevention Behavior Scale of Individuals (IPBS-I) for the General Population

PURPOSE: This study aimed to develop a scale for measuring infection prevention behavior of individuals and to verify its validity and reliability for the general population. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The scale items were selected using a literature review on the chain of infection and its content validity. There were 297 study participants, all of whom provided informed consent. Data were collected online from September 3 to September 8, 2020, using Google Survey in Korea. The scale’s construct validity was verified through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, criterion validity was Pearson’s Correlation, and reliability was tested using Cronbach’s alpha. RESULTS: Twelve items and three factors were selected after a factor and an exploratory factor analysis of 29 scale items. The three factors were pathogen blocking, transmission blocking, and immunity enhancement. A confirmatory factor analysis validated the model goodness of fit, and the convergent validity and discriminant validity of the scale were verified. The correlation coefficient with a scale for respiratory infection prevention practice was 0.69, thereby confirming the criterion validity of the scale. The reliability of the final scale (Cronbach’s alpha) was 0.86. CONCLUSION: This scale is reflective of the social features of the Korean adult population, and it is easy and concise to be administered to general public, making it useful for subsequent studies on infection prevention.