Knowledge of Dengue Fever and Vaccination Among the Indonesian General Population: A Rasch‑Based Instrument Validation Study
Keywords:
Dengue, Knowledge Level, Psychometric Validation, Rasch, VaccinationAbstract
Dengue fever remains a major public health challenge in Indonesia, yet no Rasch‑validated instrument exists to assess comunity knowledge about dengue vaccination. This study aimed to develop and psychometrically validate a dengue vaccination knowledge questionnaire using Rasch analysis among the Indonesian general population. A cross‑sectional survey was conducted with 330 participants across 34 provinces using convenience and snowball sampling. A 23‑item questionnaire (18 knowledge items covering transmission, prevention, and vaccination) was administered online, and data were analysed using the Rasch measurement model to evaluate reliability, unidimensionality, item fit, and person‑item targeting. The instrument demonstrated robust psychometric properties, with person reliability of 0.77, item reliability of 0.98, and Cronbach’s alpha of 0.78, indicating good internal consistency. Unidimensionality was confirmed by raw variance explained by the measure (35.3%) and unexplained variance in the first contrast (4.5%). The Wright map revealed a well‑defined hierarchy of item difficulty from easiest (K1) to most difficult (K23), with mean person ability exceeding mean item difficulty. Most items showed acceptable fit, although a few (K1, K2, K18, K19) exhibited suboptimal discrimination, suggesting minor revisions for future iterations. The newly developed 23‑item dengue vaccination knowledge questionnaire is a valid and reliable tool for assessing knowledge gaps among the Indonesian general population, and can support pharmacists, public health practitioners, and policymakers in delivering targeted education and strengthening evidence‑based dengue vaccination strategies.
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