Table 1.
Psychosocial variables
| Construct | Number of items | Example | Response | Chronbach’s Alpha |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attitudes | ||||
| sexual intercourse | 2 | “I believe it’s OK for people my age to have sex with a steady boyfriend or girlfriend” | 4-point response format, from “definitely yes” to “definitely no” | .68 |
| condoms | 3 | “I believe condoms should always be used if a person my age has sex.” | .80 | |
| Knowledge | ||||
| HIV | 4 | “STDs put you at higher risk of getting infected with HIV.” | true false not sure |
.38 |
| Other STDs | 5 | “Pain when urinating is a common sign of an STD (not including HIV).” | no yes not sure |
.72 |
| Normative Beliefs | ||||
| sexual intercourse | 2 | “Most of my friends believe people my age should wait until they are older before they have sex.” | 4-point response format, from “definitely yes” to “definitely no” | .51 |
| condoms | 3 | “Most of my friends believe condoms should always be used if a person my age has sex.” | .87 | |
| Self-Efficacy | ||||
| refusing sex | 3 | “How sure are you that you could keep from having sex until you feel ready?” | “totally sure” “kind of sure” “not sure at all” |
.69 |
| condom use | 3 | “How sure are you that you could use a condom (rubber) correctly or explain to your partner how to use a condom correctly?” | .69 | |
| communicating with a partner about condom use | 3 | “How sure are you that you could convince your partner that you also need to use condoms (rubbers)?” | .64 | |
| Perceived Barriers | 3 | “I would feel uncomfortable carrying condoms with me.” | 4-point response format, from “I strongly agree” to “I strongly disagree” | .8214 |
Note: Items and Chronbach’s Alphas: Basen-Engquist K, Masse LC, Coyle K, Kirby D, Parcel GS, Banspach S et al. Validity of scales measuring the psychosocial determinants of HIV/STD-related risk behavior in adolescents. Health Educ Res 1999; 14(1):25–38.