Validation and Test of Measurement Invariance of the Adapted Health Consciousness Scale (HCS-G)

Abstract

The objective of this study was the translation and validation of a health consciousness scale in order to provide an economically and empirically confirmed measurement of health consciousness, which is associated with health-related behavior. We evaluated this translation on the basis of psychometric testing in a German convenience sample. A cross-sectional online survey (n = 470) was carried out using a translated version of the health consciousness scale, oriented on the basis of international guidelines. As previous studies have not consistently confirmed the factorial structure of the health consciousness scale, we conducted a Confirmatory Factor Analysis to verify its factorial structure. Furthermore, we cross-validated the questionnaire with other scales in order to verify convergent and discriminant validity. The results indicated a two-factor solution for the Health Consciousness Scale-German (HCS-G). The criterion validity was confirmed on the basis of a significantly positive correlation between the HCS-G and health literacy. Furthermore, strict measurement invariance was able to be verified, indicating that the HCS-G is an applicable measurement, regardless of gender. In practical research, this questionnaire can help to assess health consciousness and its influence on health-related constructs. Future studies should consider possible mediating variables between health consciousness and health outcomes.