The psychometric properties of the Italian adaptation of the Health Orientation Scale (HOS)

Abstract

Background: A novel approach suggested that cognitive and dispositional features may explain in depth the health behaviors adoption and the adherence to prevention programs. The Health Orientation Scale (HOS) has been extensively used to map the adoption of health and unhealthy behaviors according to cognitive and dispositional features. Coherently, the main aim of the current research was to assess the factor structure of the Italian version of the HOS using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis and testing the construct validity of the scale by assessing differences in health orientations between tobacco cigarette smokers and nonsmokers. Method: The research protocol was organized in two studies. Study 1 evaluated the dimensionality of the HOS in a sample of Northern Italian healthy people. Three hundred and twenty-one participants were enrolled; they were 229 women (71.3%) and 92 men (28.7%). In Study 2, the factor structure and construct validity of the HOS Italian version was assessed trough confirmatory factor analysis using a tobacco cigarette smokers and nonsmokers population. Two hundred and nineteen participants were enrolled; they were 164 women (75.2%) and 55 men (24.8%). Results:In Study 1, a seven factors solution was obtained explaining 60% of cumulative variance instead of 10 factors solution of the original version of the HOS. In Study 2, the factor structure of the Italian version of the HOS was confirmed and applied to the smokers and nonsmokers; nonsmokers reported higher values than smokers in Factor 1 (MHPP) [t (208) = − 2.739 p < .007] (CI 95-4.96% to −.809), Factor 2 (HES) [t (209) = − 3.387 p < .001] (CI 95-3.93% to -. 1.03), Factor 3 (HIC) [t(213) = − 2.468 p < .014] (CI 95-2.56% to −.28) and Factor 7 (HEX) [t(217) = − 3.451 p < .001] (CI 95%-1.45 to .39). Conclusions:Results of the Italian adaptation of HOS lead to a partial redistribution of items and confirmed 7 subscales to distinguish psycho-cognitive dispositional dimensions involved in health orientation styles.

Health orientation and individual tendencies of a sample of Italian genetic testing consumers

“…The HOS is a 50‐item self‐report questionnaire developed by Snell, Johnson, Lloyd, and Hoover (1991) that assesses individual tendencies associated with health (Snell et al, 1991). The scale was validated in the Italian context by Masiero et al (2020); the Italian version composed of 36 items, grouped into seven dimensions and evaluated on a 5‐point Likert scale (from 0 “ Not at all characteristic of me ” to 4 “ Very characteristic of me ”) (Masiero et al., 2020). The score for each subscale was the sum of the values attributed to every single item (same procedure as the HOS scale from Snell and colleagues).…”

Exploring Public Attitude toward Biofeedback Technologies: Knowledge, Preferences and Personality Tendencies

“…The HOS is a scale developed by Snell and colleagues 21 assessing personality tendencies which can be associated with the implementation of health behaviors and to the promotion of personal well-being. An Italian adaptation is now available by Masiero et al 22 The Italian version of HOS is a self-report tool composed of 36-items, divided into seven subscales:…”

Working and working out: Decision-making inputs connect daily work demands to physical exercise.

“…Health Orientation (α = .84). The Health Orientation Scale (Masiero et al, 2020) captures a person's general interest in and tendency to maintain their own health. Participants indicated agreement (1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree) with nine items (e.g., "I have a strong desire to keep myself health").…”