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Volume 30, Number 3—March 2024
Research

Systematic Review of Scales for Measuring Infectious Disease–Related Stigma

Amy PatersonComments to Author , Ashleigh Cheyne, Benjamin Jones, Stefan Schilling, Louise Sigfrid, Jeni Stolow, Lina Moses, Piero Olliaro, and Amanda Rojek
Author affiliations: University of Oxford, Oxford, UK (A. Paterson, A. Cheyne, B. Jones, S. Schilling, L. Sigfrid, P. Olliaro, A. Rojek); Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA (J. Stolow, L. Moses); Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland (J. Stolow, L. Moses); The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (A. Rojek)

Main Article

Table 1

Eligibility criteria used in a systematic review of scales for measuring infectious disease–related stigma

Criteria Inclusion Exclusion
Population
 Involved community members of any age affected by infectious disease outbreaks with or without a personal history of the disease
 Focused exclusively on healthcare workers
Concept
 Described the development, validation, or use of a stigma scale, such as a survey, questionnaire or other instrument consisting of >2 closed-end questions that form a composite score and aim to measure outbreak-related stigma prevalence
 Focused on broader measurements of intersectional stigma during, but not due to, the outbreak of concern*
Context
 Related to infectious disease outbreaks
 Focused on non-communicable diseases or chronic infectious diseases
Study types Cross-sectional or cohort studies
 Interventional studies without a pre-intervention survey
Studies describing scale development, piloting, or validation
 Studies investigating stigma exclusively through qualitative methods
Interventional studies which include pre-interventional surveys providing observational data.
 Protocols, guidelines, book sections, case-reports, opinion pieces (editorials, viewpoints, commentaries) conference abstracts, preprints, and unpublished literature
Minimum validity of scale Use of stigma scales that, at a minimum, have been assessed for face validity† Not applicable

*Includes scales that assessed stigma associated with race, sexual orientation, mental health, weight, or class during an outbreak or epidemic but not in direct relation to the outbreak disease. For example, scales that assessed race-based discrimination unrelated to association with COVID-19 during the pandemic. †For instance, scales were at least superficially reviewed by potential end-users, experts, or both to confirm that the scale appears to reflect the concept of stigma in the relevant contexts (21).

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Page created: December 31, 2023
Page updated: February 22, 2024
Page reviewed: February 22, 2024
The conclusions, findings, and opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions. Use of trade names is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by any of the groups named above.
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