Introduction
The purpose of this study was to investigate the psychometric properties of the remote
first aid self-efficacy scale (RFA SES). The RFA SES is a 30-item self-report scale
developed in response to emerging evidence showing that self-efficacy is predictive
of performance.
Methods
Trained alumni from Wilderness Medical Associates (WMA) training courses and less
trained students from Laurentian University (LU) were recruited via email to complete
an online questionnaire at 2 different periods (T1 and T2). The questionnaire included
demographic questions, the 30-item RFA SES, the 10-item Connor-Davidson resilience
scale (CD-RISC), and the 10-item generalized self-efficacy scale (GSES). Data analysis
included assessment of the dimensionality, reliability, and validity of the scale.
Results
There were 448 alumni from WMA and 1106 students from LU who participated in the study.
The RFA SES demonstrated a clear unidimensional structure. The mean interitem correlation
was 0.75 at T1. Test-retest reliability (T1 to T2) was high for both the LU group
(intraclass correlation [ICC]=0.90) and the WMA group (ICC=0.92). Moderate correlations
were found between RFA SES and CD-RISC (r=0.42, P<0.001), a general measure of resilience, and the GSES (r=0.48, P<0.001), a general measure of self-efficacy. Wilderness Medical Associates participants
showed higher mean scores than LU students at T1 (t [569]=16.2, P<0.001).
Conclusions
The RFA SES is a unidimensional, reliable, and potentially valid scale. Further research
should focus on item reduction followed by additional tests of reliability and validity.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: November 26, 2022
Accepted:
September 19,
2022
Received:
November 1,
2021
Publication stage
In Press Corrected ProofIdentification
Copyright
© 2022 Wilderness Medical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
