Psychometric evaluation of the online misinformation susceptibility scale: a translation and validation study among Chinese nurses

Abstract

With the continued development of the internet, the spread of false and misleading information has become increasingly easy. In the healthcare field, misinformation poses a significant threat to public health, healthcare services, and patient treatment outcomes. Therefore, understanding nurses’ susceptibility to online misinformation is crucial. However, there is a lack of assessment tools for evaluating nurses’ susceptibility to online misinformation in China. To translate the Online Misinformation Susceptibility Scale into Chinese and evaluate its psychometric properties among Chinese nurses. Using Kendall’s method for sample size estimation, this study recruited a total of 585 clinical nurses through convenience sampling. The original scale was translated in accordance with Brislin’s guidelines, and its content validity and the feasibility of the translated version were evaluated through an expert-panel content-validity assessment. Structural validity was assessed using confirmatory factor analysis. Reliability was assessed in terms of internal consistency using Cronbach’s α coefficient. The Chinese version of the OMISS demonstrated acceptable psychometric properties. Confirmatory factor analysis supported a one-factor structure with a good model fit (χ²/df = 4.083, RMSEA = 0.073, 90% CI [0.058, 0.088], CFI = 0.989, TLI = 0.982, GFI = 0.967, and AGFI = 0.935). The overall Cronbach’s α coefficient was 0.963. This study provides preliminary validation of the Chinese version of the OMISS among nurses, offering a potentially useful tool for assessing susceptibility to online misinformation.