Validation of the Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ) to brazilian portuguese

Abstract

Objective: To validate the health literacy assessment instrument Health Literacy Questionnaire to Brazilian Portuguese. Methods: We used the protocol established by the original authors of the instrument for transcultural adaptation and validation of the psychometric properties of the Brazilian version of the Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ-Br). The HLQ-Br was answered by 794 adults from three regions of Brazil. Confi rmatory Factor Analysis was performed by means of the Diagonally Weighted Least Squares and reliability was verifi ed by Cronbach's Alpha and Composite Reliability indicators. Results: Cognitive evaluation of the HLQ-Br showed that the items of the instrument were easily understood by the participants. The confi rmatory analysis presented satisfactory fi t indices: χ2WLSMV (866 df) = 1698.53, p <0.0001; CFI = 0.978; TLI = 0.976, and RMSEA = 0.035 [0.032; 0.037, 90%CI]. Cronbach's Alpha and Composite Reliability > 0.76 on eight of the nine scales of the instrument. Conclusion: The HLQ-Br presented equivalence to the original version and satisfactory psychometric properties. It can be applied in the evaluation of Brazilian population HL in clinical practice, teaching and research. The use of HLQ-Br in health practices can aid in the incorporation of health literacy into health care practices in Brazil.