Validity and reliability of the abbreviated technology anxiety scale in Turkish: A cultural adaptation study on nursing students

INTRODUCTION: The integration of technology into healthcare has accelerated, encompassing all healthcare services worldwide. If anxiety toward technology can be identified during the student period and appropriate measures can be taken, the use of health-related technologies in professional life may be facilitated and service quality improved. From this perspective, it is necessary to directly measure students’ technology-related anxiety before their professional careers. This study aims to adapt the Abbreviated Technology Anxiety Scale to Turkish culture among nursing students.
METHODS: This methodological study was conducted with 274 nursing students. Language, content, construct, and criterion-related validity analyses were performed. Reliability was assessed using internal consistency coefficients, item–total correlations, lower–upper 27% group analyses, and test–retest reliability (n=184).
RESULTS: Exploratory factor analysis revealed a two-factor structure, differing from the original scale, explaining 55.67% of the total variance across 11 items. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for the scale was 0.87. Differences between the lower and upper 27% groups were significant for all items. High and positive correlations were found between subscale totals and total scale scores obtained from the first and second administrations. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated a good model fit.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The 11-item, two-factor Abbreviated Technology Anxiety Scale obtained through this adaptation study is a valid and reliable measurement tool for use in Turkish culture.

Keywords: Nursing students, reliability, technology anxiety, validity