Development and validation of the Oxford Benchmark Scale for Rating Vaccine Technologies (OBSRVT), a scale for assessing public attitudes to next-generation vaccine delivery technologies

Next-generation vaccine delivery technologies may provide significant gains from both a technical and behavioral standpoint, but no scale has yet been developed to assess public attitudes to novel vaccine delivery technologies. We therefore performed a cross-sectional validation study that included...

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Main Authors: Jonathan Kantor, Robert C. Carlisle, Samantha Vanderslott, Andrew J. Pollard, Michael Morrison
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2025-12-01
Series:Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics
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Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/21645515.2025.2469994
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author Jonathan Kantor
Robert C. Carlisle
Samantha Vanderslott
Andrew J. Pollard
Michael Morrison
author_facet Jonathan Kantor
Robert C. Carlisle
Samantha Vanderslott
Andrew J. Pollard
Michael Morrison
author_sort Jonathan Kantor
collection DOAJ
description Next-generation vaccine delivery technologies may provide significant gains from both a technical and behavioral standpoint, but no scale has yet been developed to assess public attitudes to novel vaccine delivery technologies. We therefore performed a cross-sectional validation study that included 1,001 demographically representative participants from the UK and US to develop and validate a novel scale, the Oxford Benchmark Scale for Rating Vaccine Technologies (OBSRVT). A sample of 500 UK participants was used to perform exploratory factor analysis with categorical variables (using a polychoric correlation matrix) followed by promax oblique factor rotation to develop the initial model. This yielded a 15-item 4-domain scale with domains including acceptance (6 items), effectiveness (4 items), comfort (3 items), and convenience (2 items). This model was tested for robustness on a 501-participant demographically representative sample from the US. A confirmatory factor analysis with a Satorra-Bentler scaled test statistic was performed, which demonstrated adequate goodness of fit statistics including the root mean squared error of approximation (0.057), standardized root mean squared residual (0.053), and comparative fit index (0.938). Reliability as internal consistency was excellent (alpha = 0.92). Convergent validity with the Oxford Needle Experience Scale was supported by an adequate correlation (r = 0.31, p < .0001), while discriminant validity was supported by a lack of correlation with an unrelated question (r = -0.03, p < .0001). These findings suggest that the OBSRVT scale represents a feasible, valid, and reliable scale that could be used to gauge the acceptability of existing and future vaccine delivery technologies, and further investigation and testing should be considered.
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spelling doaj-art-453eccc56dbf4d5986eeebfb44082fbc2025-08-20T03:05:22ZengTaylor & Francis GroupHuman Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics2164-55152164-554X2025-12-0121110.1080/21645515.2025.2469994Development and validation of the Oxford Benchmark Scale for Rating Vaccine Technologies (OBSRVT), a scale for assessing public attitudes to next-generation vaccine delivery technologiesJonathan Kantor0Robert C. Carlisle1Samantha Vanderslott2Andrew J. Pollard3Michael Morrison4Oxford Vaccine Group, University of Oxford, Oxford, UKBiomedical Ultrasonics, Biotherapy, and Biopharmaceuticals Laboratory (BUBBL), Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, UKOxford Vaccine Group, University of Oxford, Oxford, UKOxford Vaccine Group, University of Oxford, Oxford, UKCentre for Health, Law, and Emerging Technologies (HeLEX), University of Oxford, Oxford, UKNext-generation vaccine delivery technologies may provide significant gains from both a technical and behavioral standpoint, but no scale has yet been developed to assess public attitudes to novel vaccine delivery technologies. We therefore performed a cross-sectional validation study that included 1,001 demographically representative participants from the UK and US to develop and validate a novel scale, the Oxford Benchmark Scale for Rating Vaccine Technologies (OBSRVT). A sample of 500 UK participants was used to perform exploratory factor analysis with categorical variables (using a polychoric correlation matrix) followed by promax oblique factor rotation to develop the initial model. This yielded a 15-item 4-domain scale with domains including acceptance (6 items), effectiveness (4 items), comfort (3 items), and convenience (2 items). This model was tested for robustness on a 501-participant demographically representative sample from the US. A confirmatory factor analysis with a Satorra-Bentler scaled test statistic was performed, which demonstrated adequate goodness of fit statistics including the root mean squared error of approximation (0.057), standardized root mean squared residual (0.053), and comparative fit index (0.938). Reliability as internal consistency was excellent (alpha = 0.92). Convergent validity with the Oxford Needle Experience Scale was supported by an adequate correlation (r = 0.31, p < .0001), while discriminant validity was supported by a lack of correlation with an unrelated question (r = -0.03, p < .0001). These findings suggest that the OBSRVT scale represents a feasible, valid, and reliable scale that could be used to gauge the acceptability of existing and future vaccine delivery technologies, and further investigation and testing should be considered.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/21645515.2025.2469994Vaccine delivery technologyvaccinesde-riskingpublic healthvalidation studybehavior rating scale
spellingShingle Jonathan Kantor
Robert C. Carlisle
Samantha Vanderslott
Andrew J. Pollard
Michael Morrison
Development and validation of the Oxford Benchmark Scale for Rating Vaccine Technologies (OBSRVT), a scale for assessing public attitudes to next-generation vaccine delivery technologies
Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics
Vaccine delivery technology
vaccines
de-risking
public health
validation study
behavior rating scale
title Development and validation of the Oxford Benchmark Scale for Rating Vaccine Technologies (OBSRVT), a scale for assessing public attitudes to next-generation vaccine delivery technologies
title_full Development and validation of the Oxford Benchmark Scale for Rating Vaccine Technologies (OBSRVT), a scale for assessing public attitudes to next-generation vaccine delivery technologies
title_fullStr Development and validation of the Oxford Benchmark Scale for Rating Vaccine Technologies (OBSRVT), a scale for assessing public attitudes to next-generation vaccine delivery technologies
title_full_unstemmed Development and validation of the Oxford Benchmark Scale for Rating Vaccine Technologies (OBSRVT), a scale for assessing public attitudes to next-generation vaccine delivery technologies
title_short Development and validation of the Oxford Benchmark Scale for Rating Vaccine Technologies (OBSRVT), a scale for assessing public attitudes to next-generation vaccine delivery technologies
title_sort development and validation of the oxford benchmark scale for rating vaccine technologies obsrvt a scale for assessing public attitudes to next generation vaccine delivery technologies
topic Vaccine delivery technology
vaccines
de-risking
public health
validation study
behavior rating scale
url https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/21645515.2025.2469994
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