The Translation and Validation of the Children’s Health Internet Research Parental Inventory (CHIRPI) in Greek: A Crucial Tool for Evaluating Parent Internet Use for Children’s Health Information
The internet is now the primary mode of information exchange worldwide. Online health information-seeking behavior (e-HISB) has become a prevalent practice, especially among parents concerned with their children's health, creating both opportunities and risks. <b>Objective:</b> The present study aims to translate and culturally adapt the CHIRPI questionnaire into Greek and conduct a comprehensive psychometric validation, including analyses of internal consistency, test-retest reliability (temporal stability), and inter-rater reliability. The adapted tool is further pilot-tested for its utility in measuring parental internet use concerning child health information. <b>Methods</b>: The translation, validation, and pilot study of the questionnaire were conducted in accordance with internationally recommended procedures. CHIRPI was translated into Greek using forward-backward translation and was culturally adapted. A pilot sample of 105 parents (children aged 0-10) participated. The majority of participants were mothers (66.7%), aged 31-40 years, residing in urban areas, and they held tertiary or postgraduate degrees. Internal consistency was measured with Cronbach's alpha, test-retest reliability with the ICC, and inter-rater reliability with the kappa coefficient. Item responses were also analyzed in relation to demographic factors. <b>Results</b>: The CHIRPI Greek version demonstrated excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.91; all subscales had α values greater than 0.70). Test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.632-1.000) and inter-rater reliability (kappa = 0.615-1.000) indicated moderate to excellent agreement. The scale showed satisfactory psychometric properties, supporting its use in Greek populations. Higher education was linked to more frequent health-related internet searches and increased distress (<i>p</i> < 0.001). <b>Conclusions</b>: The CHIRPI Greek version is a valid and reliable tool for assessing parental online health information-seeking behavior related to children's health among Greek-speaking populations. As the first standardized tool in Greek, it fills a critical methodological gap in eHealth research.
Authors
- George Notas (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2506-5252)
- Bettina K. Doering (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0199-8362)
- Stavroula Ilia (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0936-368X)
- Antonia Barke (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6863-3213)
- George Briassoulis (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0928-6183)
- Danai Maria Psoma (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-5887-1239)
- Aggeliki Xirorafa
Institutions
- University of Crete (GR)
- Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften Kiel (DE)
- Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel (DE)
- University Hospital of Heraklion (GR)
- Clinical Research Center Kiel (DE)
- University of Duisburg-Essen (DE)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Children
- Published
- 2025-08-10
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/children12081049
- Primary Topic
- Health Literacy and Information Accessibility
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00