Publication date: Jul 02, 2025
This study aimed to describe the COVID-19 vaccination health literacy questionnaire (CVHL-Q) and test its psychometric properties in the Spanish general population using Classic Test Theory (CTT) and Rasch measurement analysis. A cross-sectional, observational study was conducted among the Spanish general population in February 2022. An online survey was administered to a nationally representative sample of 1067 people aged 18 years or older. To measure COVID-19 Vaccination Health Literacy (CVHL) a short questionnaire was developed by the research team. The psychometric properties of the CVHL-Q were explored using Rasch analysis and CTT, following recommended practices for validation of rating scales. The CVHL index mean was 34. 3 (SD: 11. 6, range: 0-50) with 39. 7 % of participants showing limited COVID-19 vaccine literacy (score ≤33 points). The instrument exhibited satisfactory internal consistency. Regarding discriminative validity, not all the a-priori hypotheses were confirmed: younger individuals had lower CVHL-Q scores, and no association was found with education level. A final model based on a random subsample of 300 participants showed a good fit to the Rasch model (χ = 31. 9, p = 0. 044 with Benferroni correction) and satisfactory reliability (PSI = 0. 718). All items displayed ordered thresholds and acceptable residual fit. The CVHL-Q is a short, questionnaire with robust measurement properties that allow assessing the ability of population to find, understand, use and appraise the information on COVID-19 vaccines. It might be useful in designing communication campaigns and to assess pandemic preparedness.

| Concepts | Keywords |
|---|---|
| February | COVID-19 |
| Psychometric | Health literacy |
| Spanish | Psychometrics |
| Vaccines | Vaccine literacy |
Semantics
| Type | Source | Name |
|---|---|---|
| disease | MESH | COVID-19 |
| disease | MESH | education level |