Psychometric properties of the Motors of Mpox Vaccination Acceptance Scale among men who have sex with men

An outbreak of monkeypox (Mpox) appeared suddenly and rapidly spread worldwide during 2022. Men who have sex with men (MSM) are at a high risk of contracting Mpox compared to other cohorts. The present study examined the psychometric properties of a newly developed scale among MSM: the Motors of Mpox Vaccination Acceptance Scale (MoMVA) assessing cognitive components of the motivation to receive an Mpox vaccination. In total, 389 MSM participated in an online survey study. The factor structures of the MoMVA were first examined using exploratory factor analysis. After determining the factor structures, the MoMVA was further examined for: (i) internal consistency using Cronbach's α; (ii) concurrent validity using correlations with risk perception of contracting Mpox and intention to receive an Mpox vaccination; and (iii) known-group validity by comparing the scores of the MoMVA between MSM who vaccinated and those who did not. The results indicated that the MoMVA had a two-factor structure (positive and negative motors). The MoMVA had acceptable internal consistency (α = 0.793 to 0.914), concurrent validity (associated with intention to receive an Mpox vaccination), and known-group validity (participants who vaccinated had higher MoMVA scores than those who did not). The results of the present study indicated that the psychometric properties of the MoMVA were good and that they can be used for assessing cognitive components of the motivation to receive an Mpox vaccination among MSM.