Validation of a Slovenian version of the Healthy Lifestyle and Personal Control Questionnaire (HLPCQ) for use with patients in family medicine

Abstract

Background

Chronic non-communicable diseases are the world’s leading cause of death and disability. The emerging field of lifestyle medicine requires equipping healthcare professionals with instruments, knowledge, skills and competencies. Measuring an individual’s lifestyle with a valid and reliable instrument is the first step in promoting it. The aim of the study was to validate the Slovenian adaptation of the Healthy Lifestyle and Personal Control Questionnaire (HLPCQ).

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 666 questionnaire participants, and they were adult participants (aged 18 and above) from family medicine practices with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) risk factors (e.g., hypertension, high cholesterol) but without a diagnosis of acute CVDs. The questionnaire included demographic data and anthropological measures and a translated English HLPCQ questionnaire. The instrument was translated using the forward-backwards translation method. The study was conducted in accordance with the principles of the World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki. In addition to assessing the construct validity of the questionnaire, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to determine content and face validity, and internal consistency reliability.

Results

The mean age of male participants was 41.34 (± 13.220) years, the mean age of female participants was 40.31 (± 11.905) years. The Cronbach’s alpha was 0.852, and all questionnaire subscales had positive correlations. Sampling adequacy was confirmed by the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) index (0.851), and Bartlett’s test of sphericity was significant (χ² = 4647.694, p < 0.001), indicating suitability for Principal Component Analysis (PCA). PCA revealed a five-factor solution, accounting for 50.67% of the total variance.

Conclusions

The most influential factors for a healthy lifestyle were daily routine, healthy dietary choices, avoidance of harmful dietary habits, organized physical activity, and social and mental balance. The Slovenian version had high factor validity and reliability. It can be used in Slovenian Community Health Centre to assess an individual’s control over various lifestyle dimensions. The instrument also holds potential for use in public health initiatives, supporting early identification of lifestyle-related risk factors and promoting preventive care strategies in the primary care setting.