Background: Within the framework of the research project aiming at exploring the national level of health literacy among primary school pupils in Poland, we are adapting and validating The Claim Evaluation Tools (CET), which was developed as part of the Informed Health Choices project. We used the opportunity not only to develop a Polish-language version of the instrument, but also to discuss the adequacy of some multiple-choice questions (MCQs) to the post-pandemic reality of pupils immersed in new media society.
Objectives: To validate the CET to the Polish cultural context.
Methods: We translated CET database into Polish using forward- and back-translations. We selected 36 MCQs testing 12 treatment claims recommended for primary schools. Next, three experts reviewed the MCQs regarding their relevance to the Polish educational and cultural circumstances. We collected feedback on the questionnaire from 15 pupils. The final version of the questionnaire, covering additionally sociodemographic questions, self-evaluation of reading skills and the Health Literacy for School-Aged Children scale already validated in Poland, will be piloted on a sample of 300 12-14-year-olds from schools in the South region of Poland. Based on results of the pilot study, basic psychometric properties will be assessed. We will assess content validity in relation to relevance and clarity using Content Validity Index (CVI). To assess the convergent validity, we will compare the CET with the HLSC score and estimate the known group differences. The reliability assessment will be based on the retest on a group of 10% of the sampled pupils.
Results: During the process of cultural adaptation, we faced dilemmas regarding the relevance of the narratives used in the MCQs to the present-day discourses which shape daily experiences of the post-pandemic cohorts of primary school pupils. The identified discrepancies are connected to the contemporary strategies of collecting information, omnipresence of COVID-19, and emerging interest in mental health issues, which have not been covered in MCQs to the present day.
Conclusions: The results of the on-going process of validation will enable national cross-sectional survey in Poland. We hope observation made during the contextualization of the Polish version of CET could inform enhancement of the resources in other countries.