Construction and dimension analysis of an evaluation index system for the capacity of community (village) public health committees: based on the Delphi expert consultation method

Objective To develop an evaluation index system for assessing the development levels of community (village) public health committees, thus providing insights for optimizing urban public health committee structures and enhancing primary-level public health governance efficacy.

Methods From March 2024 to October 2024, an evaluation index system draft was constructed through literature review, policy analysis, and focus group interviews. Two rounds of Delphi expert consultations were conducted to finalize the index system, with index weights determined via the analytic hierarchy process (AHP).

Results A total of twenty-five experts participated in the consultations. The finalized system comprised 5 first-level indexes, 20 second-level indexes, and 29 third-level indexes. Both consultation rounds achieved 100% expert response rates, with authority coefficients ≥ 0.70. High mean scores (from 7.40 to 9.96) were observed for index importance and feasibility, and the coefficients of variation (CV) were ≤ 0.25. The Kendall′s W coefficients improved between rounds (importance: 0.129 to 0.512; feasibility: 0.156 to 0.582) (P < 0.001).

Conclusion The Delphi method-based evaluation index system demonstrates scientific validity and practical applicability for assessing the development levels of community (village) public health committees. Further empirical validation is recommended to refine its utility.