title: Development of a scale for measuring social health of Iranians living in three big cities.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Social health is considered as a significant dimension of health and, hence, its assessment is vital in health planning. Within this context, this study aimed to develop a valid and reliable scale for measuring individual's social health in Iran. To do so, an exploratory sequential mixed method was used.
  
  
  METHODS
  To establish the item pool and primary scale, 30 interviews with experts and other stakeholders, and a primary review of relevant literature and similar questionnaires were conducted. Then, a survey with 800 respondents from three cities in Iran was undertaken to assess the validity and reliability of the scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the qualitative stage of this study, after careful consideration, forty questions were remained for the next step. Considering the correlation of the score of each question with the total score of the questionnaire, seven questions were omitted. For this questionnaire with 33 remaining questions, Cronbach's alpha for internal consistency was estimated to be 0.86. The reliability coefficient for 100 samples (taken after 7 to 10 days from the first round of sampling) was 0.91. Considering the factor analysis, three factors were recognized. These factors were named as "family", "community" and "friends and relatives". Cronbach's Alpha for internal consistency of community, friends and relatives, and family factors were estimated to be 0.91, 0.77 and 0.78 respectively. The corresponding value of the reliability indicator, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), for community, friends and relatives, and family were calculated 0.69, 0.80 and 0.67 respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We developed a measurable scale for social health at an individual level in the Iranian community with an acceptable level of validity and reliability. The new developed scale is able to provide an opportunity to measure Iranians' social health at an individual level. Such an indicator of individual health can be used in evaluating the performance of social health policies and providing a platform for evidence-based policy-making in the social health context.
authors.affiliation: 1. Assistant Professor of Community Medicine, Department of community medicine, Medical School, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. abachizade@gmail.com .
authors.forename: Kambiz
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Abachizadeh
authors.affiliation: 2. Medical Doctor, Community Medicine Resident, Department of community medicine, Medical School, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. tayefi.betti@gmail.com .
authors.forename: Battol
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tayefi
authors.affiliation: 3. Assistant Professor of Psychiatry. Director General of Mental and Social Health, Addiction Department of Health Deputy of Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Tehran, Iran. dr_nasehi@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Abbas Ali
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Nasehi
authors.affiliation: 4. Medical Doctor, Community Medicine Specialist, Social Health Bureau, Health Deputy of Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Tehran, Iran. naderememaryan@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Nadereh
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Memaryan
authors.affiliation: 5. Assistant Professor of Nursing, Department of Pediatric Nursing, Nursing and Midwifery School, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. rassouli.m@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rassouli
authors.affiliation: 6. MA, MPH. Head of Social Health Office, Health Deputy of Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Tehran, Iran. ne_soha@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Soheila
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Omidnia
authors.affiliation: 7. Medical student, Medical School, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. l-bagherzadeh@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Leila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bagherzadeh
keywords: Iran; Measure; Scale development; Social health