# Validity and reliability study of anatomy attitude scale in dental students

## TL;DR

This study adapts and validates a scale to measure dental students' attitudes toward anatomy, confirming its reliability and three-factor structure.

## Contribution

The study modifies and validates the Anatomy Attitude Scale for dental students, confirming its three-factor structure and reliability.

## Key findings

- The three-factor structure of the Anatomy Attitude Scale for Dental Students was confirmed.
- The scale demonstrated acceptable reliability with Cronbach’s alpha of 0.588 and McDonald’s ω of 0.660.
- Confirmatory factor analysis showed good fit indices (χ2/df = 2.492, RMSEA = 0.071, CFI = 0.922).

## Abstract

The anatomy education contributes significantly to the cognitive and perceptive learning of students. The purpose of this study was to modify and assess the validity and reliability of the “Anatomy Attitude Scale for Medical School Students”, a tool used to assess medical students’ attitudes about anatomy, for use with dental students.

The “Anatomy Attitude Scale for Dental Student (AASDS)” scale was tested on 297 students. Subsequently, the completed scale was administered to dental students in order to confirm its validity. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to evaluate construct validity. The reliability of the scale was assessed using test-retest, item correlations, split-half analysis, and Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. The statistical analysis was conducted using package programs. The accepted threshold for statistical significance was P < 0.05.

The participants’ average age was 23 ± 2.73 years and 63.4% (n = 185) were female. The three-factor structure of the “Anatomy Attitude Scale for Dental Student” as “Value of anatomy”, “Hating anatomy” and “Allocating Time to Anatomy” was confirmed. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of the scale is 0.588 and McDonald’s ω coefficient is 0.660. It was established that the 14-item scale’s three-factor structure was accurate. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that there was a suitable model for the original version of the scale χ2/df = 2.492, RMSEA = 0.071, SRMR = 0,070, TLI = 0.900 and CFI = 0.922).

The dental students’ version of the “Anatomy Attitude Evaluation Scale for Medical Students” is a valid and reliable instrument for determining dental students’ attitudes towards anatomy.