Psychometric properties of the Japanese version of the evidence-based practice beliefs scale among clinical nurses

Objective: This study evaluated the psychometrics of the Japanese version of the evidence-based practice beliefs (EBP-B) scale. Methods: The study design was a cross-sectional survey. An online survey was conducted from October 2021 to February 2022. A questionnaire including the 16-item Japanese EBP-B scale was distributed to 2,977 nurses in three university hospitals across Japan. After 14 days, the same questionnaire was distributed to all participants to measure test-retest reliability. The factor structure of the Japanese EBP-B scale was evaluated using principal component analysis, known-group validity, and test-retest reliability. Results: Five hundred fifty-one nurses (response rate, 18.5%) completed the first survey, of whom 309 (56.1%) were included in the test-retest analysis. Principal component analysis revealed that the Japanese EBP-B scale tended to be moderately similar to the original version. Regarding known-group validity, the total score of the Japanese EBP-B scale was positively associated with academic background, job title, years of experience, certification of advanced practice nurses, and experience with learning and implementing EBP and conducting nursing research. The weighted kappa coefficients ranged from 0.27 to 0.51 for all scale items. Conclusions: Overall, the Japanese version of the EBP-B scale demonstrated psychometrics similar to those of the original version. Test-retest reliability varied among the items.