Development and psychometric properties of a medication information literacy scale for Chinese pregnant women

Abstract Background Pregnant women are in a unique physiological state and the safety of medication is an important issue related to maternal and infant health. With the increasing variety of information resources, the ability of pregnant women to correctly understand and make decisions about medication information depends upon their level of medication information literacy. However, currently, there is no valid and reliable instrument to measure this concept. The purpose of this study was to develop a medication information literacy scale for use in Chinese pregnant women and to measure their medication information literacy. Methods Under the guidance of the Ellis’ Information-Seeking Model and the Comprehensive Model of Information Seeking, preliminary items were developed through a literature review, expert consultation and modification. Following a pilot study, items were selected or revised using item discrimination, item correlation analysis and feedback from the participants. The final version of the medication information literacy scale was reviewed by 731 women to establish reliability and validity. Results The final scale consisted of five domains with 22 items. The Cronbach’s α coefficient was 0.871 and test-retest reliability was 0.870. Total explained variation was 64.642%. The scale demonstrated good validity (χ 2 /df = 1.999, GFI = 0.899, AGFI = 0.871, SRMR = 0.046, IFI = 0.926, RMSEA = 0.054, CFI = 0.925, and TLI = 0.913). In a formal survey of pregnant women, only 27.9% of pregnant women had adequate medication information literacy. Conclusion The medication information literacy scale demonstrates good reliability and validity, and can be used to assess medication information literary of pregnant women in Chinese context, thus leading to targeted interventions for this unique population.