Examination of Medical Help-Seeking Behaviors in Adolescents Within the Scope of Digital Factors and Social Support: A Methodological Study

Abstract

Aim: This methodological study aimed to develop a valid and reliable measurement tool to assess adolescents’ medical help-seeking behaviors.

Method: The study was conducted with 368 adolescents aged 15–21, and the scale development process included the establishment of a conceptual framework, item pool generation, expert evaluation, pilot testing, and factor analyses. Initially, a 23-item pool was created based on face-to-face interviews with 10 adolescents and a review of the literature. Expert evaluations indicated that all items had acceptable content validity ratios and were therefore retained. Necessary linguistic and content revisions were made following the pilot application.

Results: Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) led to the removal of items with low factor loadings or cross-loadings, resulting in a 13-item scale with four factors. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) confirmed the four-factor model, demonstrating acceptable fit indices. The internal consistency coefficient of the scale (Cronbach’s alpha=0.82) indicated high reliability.

Conclusion: The developed Medical Help-Seeking Behavior Scale for Adolescents was determined to be a valid, reliable, and applicable tool for assessing adolescents’ medical help-seeking behaviors.