A Pilot Feasibility Study of a Research Protocol Examining Predictors of Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms among Malaysian Firefighters

Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms (PTSS) among firefighters are an important concern, and identifying potential risk factors may assist organisations in better managing PTSS in this population. A larger study has been proposed to determine the prevalence and predictors of PTSS among Malaysian firefighters. This pilot feasibility study aimed to evaluate the newly designed research protocol, identify any issues pertaining to the questionnaires’ instructions and items, assess the data collection process, and determine the reliability of the instruments intended for the main study. This pilot study recruited firefighters from five fire and rescue stations in a state on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, using a cluster sampling approach. This cross-sectional study utilised both paper-based and online surveys to figure out the feasibility of subject recruitment, data collection methods, and data entry procedures. Measurement instruments were evaluated using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and reliability analysis (internal consistency and two-week test-retest). Of the 108 respondents, 87% preferred the online questionnaire distribution method. Appropriate amendments to the research protocol, recruitment procedures, and data analysis plan were identified and deemed feasible for implementation in the main study. All instruments demonstrated acceptable values of Composite Reliability (CR), high internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha values greater than 0.7), and moderate to excellent consistency of the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) for test-retest reliability (ranging from 0.504 to 0.999). Overall, this pilot study supports the feasibility and reliability of the proposed research protocol for conducting the main study on PTSS among Malaysian firefighters.