Scale Overview
The Medical Embarrassment Questionnaire – MEQ was developed by Nathan S. Consedine, Yulia S. Krivoshekova, Christine R. Harris (2007). It is designed to measure Medical Embarrassment. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 53 items organized into 9 factors/subscales: About the body, About genital examinations, Bodily functions, About being ill, About the public exposure associated with medical visits, About being viewed as a hypochondriac, About feeling intellectually inadequate, About being embarrassed by pain, About not taking care of one’s health.
| Factor / Subscale |
Items |
N |
| About the body |
1,5,11,15,21,25,30,39,44,49 |
10 |
| About genital examinations |
2,12,22,31,40,45,50 |
7 |
| Bodily functions |
3,13,23,32,41,51 |
6 |
| About being ill |
4,14,24,33,42 |
5 |
| About the public exposure associated with medical visits |
6,16,26,34,43 |
5 |
| About being viewed as a hypochondriac |
7,17,27,35,46,52 |
6 |
| About feeling intellectually inadequate |
8,18,36,47 |
4 |
| About being embarrassed by pain |
9,19,28,37 |
4 |
| About not taking care of one's health |
10,20,29,38,48,53 |
6 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Not at all/never, 2 = Rarely, 3 = Sometimes, 4 = Often, 5 = Very much/always.
The scale includes 9 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Not specified in the text.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.