Validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the HLS-EU-Q6 questionnaire

Background Health literacy plays an important role in the effectiveness of health services by affecting individuals' ability to access, understand, and use health information. Many people in Turkey have limited health literacy. This study aimed to determine the psychometric validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the HLS-EU-Q6. Methods This psychometric study was conducted in two phases with 475 Turkish adults between January and March 2024. In the first stage, the scale was adapted into Turkish. Content validity indices were used for content validity, and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used for construct validity. Discriminant analysis was used for reliability analysis, and Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used for internal consistency. Results The mean age of the 475 participants was 28.82 ± 9.75 years, and 65.5% were female. The health literacy level of 75.6% of the participants was determined as “problematic.” The content validity index of the scale was found to be 0.92. In exploratory factor analysis, factor loadings ranged between 0.664 and 0.853, and in confirmatory factor analysis, model fit indices were acceptable (x²/df=2.95, RMSEA=0.07, SRMR=0.07, TLI=0.92, GFI=0.95). In the reliability analysis, Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.82. Conclusions The Turkish version of HLS-EU-Q6 consistently showed acceptable psychometric reliability and validity characteristics.