Hostname: page-component-669899f699-rg895 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-04-24T16:36:09.015Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Adaptation of the Disaster Literacy Scale to Individuals Aged 60 Years and Older and Exploring its Psychometric Properties

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 January 2025

Aysun Güzel Open the ORCID record for Aysun Güzel [Opens in a new window]
Aysun Güzel*
Affiliation:
Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Emergency Aid and Disaster Management, Burdur, Turkey
*
Corresponding author: Aysun Güzel; Email: ayurdakul@mehmetakif.edu.tr
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Objectives

This methodological study aimed to adapt the DLS, introduced for individuals aged 18-60 years, to those aged 60 years and older and to determine its psychometric properties.

Methods

We collected the data between December 15, 2021 and April 18, 2022. We carried out the study with a sample of 60 years and older living in the city center of Burdur, Turkey. The sample was selected using snowball sampling, a non-probability sampling technique. We collected the data using a questionnaire booklet covering an 11-item demographic information form and the DLS. We utilized reliability and validity analyses in the data analysis. The analyses were performed on SPSS 23.0, and a P value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

The mean age of the participants was found to be 68.29 (SD = 6.36). The 61-item measurement tool was reduced to 57 items by removing a total of 4 items from the scale. We also calculated Cronbach’s α values to be 0.936 for the mitigation/prevention subscale, 0.935 for the preparedness subscale, 0.939 for the response subscale, and 0.945 for the recovery/rehabilitation subscale.

Conclusions

As adapted in this study, the DLS-S can be validly and reliably used for individuals aged 60 years and older.

Keywords

ageddisastersliteracynatural disasterspsychometricsTurkey
Type
Original Research
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 18 , 2024 , e330
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc.

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). The Plurality of Literacy and its implications for policies and programmes. Published 2004. Accessed December 23, 2022.Google Scholar
https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000136246.Google Scholar
Çalışkan, C, Üner, S. Disaster literacy and public health: a systematic review and integration of definitions and models. Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2021;15(4):518–527. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32618555/CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brown, LM, Haun, JN, Peterson, L. A proposed disaster literacy model. Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2014;8(3):267–275. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24992944/CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Türker, A, Sözcü, U. Examining natural disaster literacy levels of pre-service geography teachers. J Pedagog Res. 2021;5(2):207–221. http://doi.org/10.33902/JPR.2021270164CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tsai, C-H, Linliu, S-C, Chang, RCY. The relationship among disaster prevention literacy, psychological empowerment and safety performance in the hotel industry. Curr Issues Tour. 2022;25(6):955–977. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2021.1911963CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rumambi, FJ, Tangkudung, AG, Assa, AF et al. The habituation of landslide disaster mitigation literacy to elementary school students on slopes of Mount Salak, Indonesia. J Posit Psychol. 2022;6(8):6702–6717. https://www.journalppw.com/index.php/jpsp/article/view/10982/7091Google Scholar
Seifi, B, Ghanizadeh, G, Seyedin, H. Disaster health literacy of middle-aged women. J Menopausal Med. 2018;24(3):150–154. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6336570/CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Çalışkan, C, Üner, S. Measurement of disaster literacy in Turkish society: Disaster Literacy Scale (DLS) design and development process. Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2022;1–7. https://doi.org/10.1017/dmp.2022.147Google ScholarPubMed
Atwill, F, Sandvik, KB, Kirch, L, et al. World risk report. Published 2022. Accessed December 23, 2022. https://reliefweb.int/report/world/worldriskreport-2022-focus-digitalization.Google Scholar
Ferreira, LC, Araújo, MC, Tavares, DMS, et al. Quality of life and social vulnerability of older adults in the urban community: a cross-sectional study. Geriatr Nurs. 2022;46:46–51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gerinurse.2022.04.026CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ayeni, A, Sharples, A, Hewson, D. The association between social vulnerability and frailty in community dwelling older people: a systematic review. Geriatrics. 2022;7(5):104. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36286207/CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mah, J, Rockwood, K, Stevens, S, et al. Do interventions reducing social vulnerability improve health in community dwelling older adults? a systematic review. Clin Interv Aging. 2022;17:447–465. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9012306/CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Daddoust, L, Khankeh, H, Ebadi, A, et al. The social vulnerability of older people to natural disasters: an ıntegrative review. Health Emerg Disasters. 2018;4(1):5–14. https://hdq.uswr.ac.ir/browse.php?a_id=221&sid=1&slc_lang=en&html=1CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Çokluk, Ö, Şekercioğlu, G, Büyüköztürk, Ş. Sosyal Bilimler İçin Çok Değişkenli İstatistik SPSS ve Lisrel Uygulamaları. Üçüncü Baskı. Pegem Akademi; 2014 (in Turkish).Google Scholar
Karagöz, Y. SPSS ve AMOS Uygulamalı Nitel-Nicel-Karma Bilimsel Araştırma Yöntemleri ve Yayın Etiği. Birinci Baskı. Nobel Akademi; 2017 (in Turkish).Google Scholar
Reiter, C. Changes in literacy skills as cohorts age. Population and Development Review. 2022;48(1):1–268. https://doi.org/10.1111/padr.12457Mahmodi 2021CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Huang, Y, Ruan, T, Yi, Q et al. The health literacy questionnaire among the aged in Changsha, China: confirmatory factor analysis. BMC Public Health. 2019;19:1220. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-019-7563-xCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mialhe, FL, Tenani, CF, De Checchi, MHR et al. Psychometric properties of Health Literacy in Dentistry scale in an elderly Brazilian population. Braz. Oral Res. 2020;34:e021. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32187306/CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Berman, DC. The Internet Computer Literacy Scale (ICLS): scale modification and validation with older adults. The Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Human Services. Albizu University, Miami, Florida; 2021.Google Scholar
Chung, SY, Nahm, ES. Testing reliability and validity of the eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS) for older adults recruited online. Comput Inform Nurs. 2015;33(4):15–156. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25783223/CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Alpar, R. Uygulamalı İstatistik ve Geçerlik Güvenirlik. İkinci Baskı. Detay Yayıncılık; 2012 (in Turkish).Google Scholar
Yoo, W, Mayberry, R, Bae, S et al. A study of effects of multicollinearity in the multivariable analysis. Int J Appl Sci Technol. 2014;4(5):9–19. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25664257/Google ScholarPubMed
Seçer, İ. SPSS ve Lisrel İle Pratik Veri Analizi. İkinci Baskı. Anı Yayıncılık; 2015 (in Turkish).Google Scholar