Validating the Persian Version of the Self-Care in COVID-19 Scale (SCOVID-Scale) in the Iranian population

Self-care during Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVD-19) helps people follow self-care strategies to reduce the spread of the virus. To control the disease, people need to engage in self-care behaviors, and investigating these behaviors requires a valid and reliable instrument to yield valid and credible information.

This study aimed to validate the Persian version of the Self-Care in COVID-19 Scale (SCOVID-Scale).

The sample included 582 participants from XXX's general population who were selected using a convenience sampling method. They were divided into two groups, one half for exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and the other for confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Cronbach's alpha coefficient and McDonald's omega were used to assess Internal consistency. Standard error of measurement (SEM) and interclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to examine absolute stability and relative stability, respectively.

In the EFA, three factors, including Prevention, Routine Activities, and Lifestyle, were extracted that together explained 32.31% of the total variance of COVID-19 self-care. Internal consistency of the total scale using both Cronbach's alpha coefficient and McDonald's omega was above 0.7. The goodness of fit indices of second-order CFA was in the acceptable range.

The Persian version of the SCOVID Scale is a valid and reliable instrument, and it can be used in studies on COVID-19.