Psychometric properties of Turkish version of the adult vaccine literacy scale

Backround: Vaccine literacy plays a critical role in enabling individuals to access accurate and reliable information about vaccines, understand and evaluate this information, and make informed and rational decisions about vaccination. This study aimed to adapt the Adult Vaccine Literacy Scale (AVLS) into Turkish and examine its psychometric properties and relationship with health literacy. Method The adaptation process of the scale included forward–backward translation, expert review, and pilot testing. Construct validity was examined using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, while internal consistency was assessed with Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. Test–retest reliability was evaluated to determine the temporal stability of the scale. Results The three-factor structure of the 14-item scale explained 60.82% of the total variance. Model fit indices indicated a good fit (χ²/df = 1.447, RMSEA = 0.040, CFI = 0.980, GFI = 0.952). The total Cronbach’s alpha was 0.846, with sub-dimension values ranging from 0.686 to 0.881. Results demonstrated that individuals’ vaccination literacy improved as their health literacy levels increased (p < 0.001; r=-0.563). Test–retest analysis demonstrated a strong positive correlation between the two measurements, indicating high temporal stability of the scale (r = 0.830, p < 0.001). Conclusion The Turkish version of the AVLS is a valid and reliable tool. It can be effectively used to assess vaccine literacy among adults in future research and public health studies.