Standardization and Normalization of Health-Concerns Questionnaire-54 (HCQ-54): A Case Study of Iranian Undergraduates at State-Run Universities of Tehran

The purpose of this paper is to standardize and normalize the health concerns questionnaire-54 (HCQ-54) to assess the health concerns of Iranian undergraduates at the state-run universities in Tehran, including University of Tehran, Tarbiat Moallem University, Allameh Tabatabai University, Shahid Beheshti University, Sharif University of Technology and Amir Kabir University of Technology. To this aim, 2000 undergraduates were selected using the random multi-stage sampling method. The general reliability of the scale and its subscales was computed through internal consistency. The results indicated excellent internal consistency (general Cronbach's alpha coefficient = 0.803, somatic concerns = 0.894, mental concerns = 0.939, social concerns = 0.646) and proved statistically satisfactory. Moreover, the construct validity of the scale was investigated through factor analysis of principal components with varimax rotation, after which a factor emerged that accounted for 28.843% of the total variance of the scale. The cutoff point of the study was 62 with sensitivity and specificity standing at 80% and 72%, respectively. The independent t-test showed no significant difference between male and female students on the HCQ-54 subscales.