Development and initial validation of the appropriate antibiotic use self-efficacy scale.

OBJECTIVE: While there are various medication self-efficacy scales that exist, none assess self-efficacy for appropriate antibiotic use. The Appropriate Antibiotic Use Self-Efficacy Scale (AAUSES) was developed, pilot tested, and its psychometric properties were examined.

METHODS: Following pilot testing of the scale, a 28-item questionnaire was examined using a sample (n = 289) recruited through the Amazon Mechanical Turk platform. Participants also completed other scales and items, which were used in assessing discriminant, convergent, and criterion-related validity. Test-retest reliability was also examined.

RESULTS: After examining the scale and removing items that did not assess appropriate antibiotic use, an exploratory factor analysis was conducted on 13 items from the original scale. Three factors were retained that explained 65.51% of the variance. The scale and its subscales had adequate internal consistency. The scale had excellent test-retest reliability, as well as demonstrated convergent, discriminant, and criterion-related validity.

CONCLUSIONS: The AAUSES is a valid and reliable scale that assesses three domains of appropriate antibiotic use self-efficacy.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: The AAUSES may have utility in clinical and research settings in understanding individuals' beliefs about appropriate antibiotic use and related behavioral correlates. Future research is needed to examine the scale's utility in these settings.