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Accepted for/Published in: JMIR mHealth and uHealth

Date Submitted: Jun 22, 2021
Date Accepted: Feb 25, 2022

The final, peer-reviewed published version of this preprint can be found here:

Problem-Based mHealth Literacy Scale (PB-mHLS): Development and Validation

Zhang L, Li P

Problem-Based mHealth Literacy Scale (PB-mHLS): Development and Validation

JMIR Mhealth Uhealth 2022;10(4):e31459

DOI: 10.2196/31459

PMID: 35394446

PMCID: 9034416

Measuring mHealth Literacy: Development and Validation of the Problem-Based mHealth Literacy Scale (PB-mHLS)

  • Lingmin Zhang; 
  • Pengxiang Li

ABSTRACT

The rapid development of mobile health (mHealth) technologies in recent decades calls for an instrument that can accurately determine mHealth literacy, as existing instruments do not consider mHealth practices. Drawing on the “problem-based” analysis framework, this study developed and validated a problem-based mHealth literacy scale (the PB-mHLS). Through in-depth interviews and monitoring of mobile users, we first established the domains and item pool required to measure mHealth literacy. Second, we conducted a pilot survey to select the most appropriate items using item analysis and exploratory factor analysis. We then used confirmatory factor analysis to finalize the domains and items of our PB-mHLS by surveying 552 respondents. From these investigations, we developed a PB-mHLS consisting of 33 items belonging to 8 domains: mHealth needs, mobile phone operational skills, acquisition of mHealth information, acquisition of mHealth services, understanding of medical terms, web-based patient–doctor communication, evaluating mHealth information, and mHealth decision making.


 Citation

Please cite as:

Zhang L, Li P

Problem-Based mHealth Literacy Scale (PB-mHLS): Development and Validation

JMIR Mhealth Uhealth 2022;10(4):e31459

DOI: 10.2196/31459

PMID: 35394446

PMCID: 9034416

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