Development and content validation of an interprofessional collaboration model for child sexual abuse prevention in primary health care.

Abstract

Child sexual abuse (CSA) remains a significant public health issue requiring effective prevention strategies within primary health care (PHC). Interprofessional collaboration (IPC) is recognized as a key approach; however, context-specific IPC models for CSA prevention are still limited, particularly in low- and middle-income settings. This study aimed to develop and conduct content validation of an interprofessional collaboration model for CSA prevention in primary health care settings. The model was developed through a structured narrative literature review and conceptual synthesis, followed by expert evaluation. Seven experts from diverse professional backgrounds assessed the relevance of the model indicators using the Content Validity Index (CVI). Indicators were refined based on qualitative feedback to improve clarity and measurability. The final model comprised 27 indicators across seven dimensions of IPC. All indicators demonstrated high item-level content validity (I-CVI = 1.00), indicating strong agreement among experts. The scale-level content validity (S-CVI/Ave) also indicated excellent overall content validity. This study provides preliminary evidence of content validity for an IPC model to support CSA prevention in primary health care settings. The findings reflect expert agreement on indicator relevance rather than empirical validation or real-world effectiveness. Further research is required to evaluate construct validity, reliability, and feasibility in practice.