Development of measures of individual leadership for health promotion.

Purpose: This purpose of this research was to develop and establish psychometric properties of scales measuring individual leadership for health promotion.

Design/methodology/approach: Scales to measure leadership in health promotion were drafted based on capacity assessment instruments developed by other provinces involved in the Canadian Heart Health Initiative (CHHI), and on the literature. Content validity was established through a series of focus groups and expert opinion appraisals and pilot testing. Psychometric analyses provided empirical evidence of the construct validity and reliability of the leadership scales in the baseline survey (n = 144) of the Alberta Heart Health Project.

Findings: Principal component analysis verified the construct of the leadership scales of personal work-related practices and satisfaction with work-related practices. Each of the theoretically a prior determined scales factored into two scales each for a total of four final scales. Scale alpha coefficients (Cronbach's alpha) ranged between 0.71 and 0.78, thus establishing good scale internal consistencies.

Research Limitations/implications: Limitations include the relatively small sample size used in determining psychometric properties. In addition, further qualitative work would enhance understanding of the complexity of leadership in health organizations. These measures can be used by both researchers and practitioners for the assessment leadership for health promotion and to tailor interventions to increase leadership for health promotion in health organizations.

Originality/value: Establishing the psychometric properties and quality of leadership measures is an innovative step toward achieving capacity assessment instruments which facilitate evaluation of key relationships in developing health sector capacity for health promotion.