The first italian validation of the most widespread health literacy assessment tool: the Newest Vital Sign.
OBJECTIVE
This work represents the first attempt to validate, for the Italian population, the most widespread health literacy assessment tool: the Newest Vital Sign (NVS).


METHODS
The UK version of this tool was adapted for Italy using a translation/back-translation process. A web-based survey was then administered to a multidisciplinary panel of experts to assess its face validity. Finally, a preliminary study of construct validity was conducted, focusing on efficiency, comprehensibility, reliability, and sensitivity of the items of the test. For the evaluation of these dimensions we adopted Pearson's r correlation and calculated the average scores obtained for the subscales.


RESULTS
Data analysis shows that the NVS-IT can be considered, under every aspect, an adequate tool for the assessment of individual health literacy grade level, given the optimal correlation among the experts' judgments and the average scores above the acceptability threshold.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study aims to encourage use of the NVS for the Italian population and, furthermore, introduce a scientific approach to health literacy, an issue that is gaining interest even in our country, though, to date, this has mainly resulted in the production of theoretical works.
Scuola specializzazione in Igiene e medicina preventiva, Università di Firenze, Italy. leonardocapecchi@inwind.it.
Leonardo
L
Capecchi
Dip. Scienze formazione e psicologia, Università di Firenze, Italy.
Andrea
A
Guazzini
Dip. Scienze della salute, Università di Firenze, Italy.
Chiara
C
Lorini
Dip. Scienze della salute, Università di Firenze, Italy.
Francesca
F
Santomauro
Dip. Medicina sperimentale, Università di Firenze, Italy.
Guglielmo
G
Bonaccorsi
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D057220:Health Literacy; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014177:Translations; D055986:Vital Signs