Pandemic Awareness Scale (PAS): Evidence of Validity and Reliability in a Turkish Sample During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Public awareness is crucial in the prevention and management of the pandemic outbreaks. Accordingly, this study aimed to develop a scale that measures individuals’ awareness on pandemic outbreaks. The study investigated psychometric properties of the Pandemic Awareness Scale (PAS) in a Turkish sample (n = 1303) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The exploratory-factor-analysis (EFA) results (n = 903) indicated a high internal consistency reliability (α =.89) and suggested one-factor structure. The factor structure was confirmed in a different sample (n = 400) by a confirmatory-factor-analysis (CFA). The CFA results indicated that the one-factor model fits the data well (x2/df = 3.79, GFI =.96, IFI =.97, TLI =.94, CFI =.97, RMSEA =.084). The results suggested that the PAS is a valid and reliable tool to measure Turkish individuals’ pandemic awareness level.