Development and Validation of a questionnaire to assess knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors towards hearing loss prevention by using Protection Motivation Theory

Abstract Background Improving the level of knowledge, attitude and practices of workers exposed to noise using a suitable tool can be inexpensive and effective method. This requires the consideration of Motivation, threat appraisal and coping appraisal. Therefore, the goal of this study is to create an assessment tool to measure the knowledge, attitude, and practices of workers utilizing the Protection Motivation Theory model. Methods In this study, a tool was developed based on the Protection Motivation Theory through an analysis of relevant literature and expert opinions. The face validity of the tool was assessed using the Item Impact Score, which was evaluated by fifteen experts with experience in occupational noise. The content validity was determined using the Content Validity Ratio (CVR) and Content Validity Index (CVI). The reliability of the tool was assessed using Cronbach's alpha and the Intracluster Correlation Coefficient (ICC). Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS version 23. Results A Protection Motivation Theory based questionnaire was designed with a total of 70 questions consisting of These constructs include 11 questions for knowledge, perceived sensitivity (11 questions), perceived intensity (6 questions), fear (5 questions), self-efficacy (4 questions), perceived costs (8 questions), perceived response efficiency (3 questions), perceived rewards (5 questions), perceived protection motivation (8 questions) and 9 questions for behavior. The Impact Score results indicated that all questions received high scores above 4, emphasizing their significance within the constructed questionnaire. Additionally, all questions recorded a Content Validity Index (CVI) exceeding the acceptable threshold of 0.8. The Content Validity Ratio (CVR) for all questions surpassed 0.538. Furthermore, the Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient for all factors exceeded the acceptable value of 0.7. Notably, the intra-cluster correlation index results demonstrated values greater than 0.7 for all factors except perceived sensitivity. Conclusion Evaluating knowledge and attitudes towards preventive measures, along with adopting behaviors to mitigate the risk of hearing loss, can be viewed as a cost-effective protective strategy. Consequently, the creation of an appropriate tool for this task holds significant importance. The outcomes of this research underscore the strong validity and reliability of the developed tool, as evidenced by the specified factors.