Psychometric Evaluation of the Persian Version of the Fear of Illness and Virus Evaluation (FIVE) Scale Among Pre-Hospital Emergency Personnel

Background and Objective: Infection-related fear is a prominent psychological response among healthcare professionals, especially in high-risk pre-hospital settings. This study translated, culturally adapted, and psychometrically evaluated the Persian version of the Fear of Illness and Virus Evaluation (FIVE) scale among pre-hospital emergency personnel. Methods In this cross-sectional psychometric study, 412 participants were recruited using convenience sampling. Construct validity was assessed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Reliability was evaluated using Cronbach’s alpha, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), composite reliability (CR), and average variance extracted (AVE). Results EFA supported a four-factor structure explaining 63.47% of the total variance. The Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin value was 0.92 and Bartlett’s test of sphericity was significant (χ² = 6845.31, df = 595, p < 0.001). CFA demonstrated acceptable model fit (χ²/df = 2.41, CFI = 0.94, TLI = 0.93, NFI = 0.92, RMSEA = 0.058). Standardized factor loadings ranged from 0.58 to 0.88 (p < 0.001). Cronbach’s alpha coefficients ranged from 0.84 to 0.91, and the ICC for the total scale was 0.89. CR values ranged from 0.86 to 0.91, and AVE values ranged from 0.55 to 0.64, supporting convergent validity. Discriminant validity was confirmed using the Fornell–Larcker criterion. Conclusion The Persian version of the FIVE demonstrates acceptable validity and reliability within the studied sample and may be used to assess fear related to illness and viral threats in Persian-speaking populations.