Validation of urban community survey regarding pandemic flu influenza a (h1n1) using rasch measurement tools

This has made an attempt to apply the Rasch measurement model in the field of health sciences to validate the response behavioural patterns of local urban community regarding the risk of Pandemic Flu, Influenza A (H1N1). The variables include subjects' response behaviour towards H1N1 treatment effectiveness, knowledge, perceived risk attitude and preventive practices towards HINI. Following this is the investigation of the nature of associations between the binary response patterns (knowledge) and the selected explanatory variables in the study (age, education status, effectiveness, perceived risk and preventive practices towards H1N1). The study used secondary survey data provided by the Department of Population Health and Preventive Medicine (PHPM), Faculty of Medicine, UiTM Shah Alam which were collected from communities residing at two different locations in Selangor, Malaysia. Results from the study show that community with different characteristics or background to some extent have provided true responses displaying moderate degree of knowledge and awareness towards the risk of H1N1. Significant association between knowledge and education status has also been detected.

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