Designing and Validating a Questionnaire on Photoprotection in Children and Families

Abstract

Background and objective: Primary prevention is the only way to reduce the incidence rate of skin cancer. With this objective, we designed and evaluated the questionnaire's feasibility, validity, and reproducibility on photoprotective behaviors and their associated variables in the child population and their families.

Material and methods: After reviewing the literature, a group of experts drafted the first questionnaire, analyzing its logical and content validity in 109 participants. A new questionnaire was obtained from this analysis, examining its internal validity through factor analysis and internal consistency (n = 98). Finally, reproducibility was determined in 32 participants who had previously answered the questionnaire.

Results: Our questionnaire was easy or very easy for 75% of the study population (mean time, 12 minutes). The following 4 factors were obtained for parents (total explained variance = 61.7%): "photoprotection of fathers and mothers"; "personal vulnerability to sun exposure"; "information received on photoprotection and healthy lifestyle habits," and "sun exposure schedule". For children, a total of 4 factors were also obtained (variance = 61.3%): "perceived vulnerability and sun protection behavior"; "barriers to sun protection"; "other barriers"; and "beliefs of mothers and fathers and sunburns in their children". On the other hand, significant changes were only observed in 5 questions. The results of each fieldwork produced improved versions of the questionnaire until its final version was obtained.

Conclusion: The questionnaire was a viable, valid, and reproducible instrument to measure sun protection behavior in children and their families.