The HIV Medication Taking Self-efficacy Scale: psychometric evaluation.

AIM: This paper is a report of an examination of the psychometric properties of the HIV Medication Taking Self-efficacy Scale. BACKGROUND: Self-efficacy is a critically important component of strategies to improve HIV medication-taking; however, valid and reliable tools for assessing HIV medication-taking self-efficacy are limited. METHOD: We used a cross-sectional, correlational design. Between 2003 and 2007, 326 participants were recruited from sites in Pennsylvania and Ohio in the United States of America. Six self-report questionnaires administered at baseline and 12 weeks later during 'Improving Adherence to Antiretroviral Therapy' were used to examine the variables of interest. Means and variances, reliability, criterion, and construct validity of the HIV Medication Taking Self-efficacy Scale were assessed. FINDINGS: Participants reported high self-confidence in their ability to carry out specific medication-related tasks (mean = 8·31) and in the medication's ability to effect good outcomes (mean = 8·56). The HIV Medication Taking Self-efficacy Scale and subscales showed excellent reliability (α = 0·93∼0·94). Criterion validity was well-established by examining the relationships between the HIV Medication Taking Self-efficacy Scale and selected physiological and psychological factors, and self-reported medication adherence (r = -0·20∼0·58). A two-factor model with a correlation between self-efficacy belief and outcome expectancy fitted the data well (model χ(2) = 3871·95, d.f. = 325, P < 001; CFA = 0·96; RMSEA = 0·046). CONCLUSION: The HIV Medication Taking Self-efficacy Scale is a psychometrically sound measure of medication-taking self-efficacy for use by researchers and clinicians with people with HIV. The findings offer insight into the development of interventions to promote self-efficacy and medication adherence in persons with HIV.

Predictors of intention to practice safer sex among Korean college students.

This study examined the efficacy of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TpB) among Korean college students on intentions of condom use. A cross-sectional, correlational design was conducted with an exploratory survey method. Young men and women aged 18-25 were recruited from a university in Seoul, Korea using a flyer and self-referral. Students completed a background and sexual behavior questionnaire, a parent-adolescent communication scale, and instruments derived from the TpB. Age, parent-adolescent communication, and perceived risk of sexual behavior were added to the model as potential determinants of intention of condom use. All the TpB components significantly predicted intention of condom use for young men, but only condom attitude and condom efficacy significantly predicted intention of condom use for young women. Age and quality of parent-adolescent communication indirectly affected the intention of condom use; however, perceived risk of sexual behavior did not predict intention of condom use, nor was it affected by age. Older students had a higher condom efficacy and a higher perceived peer norm of condom use. The quality of parent-adolescent communication significantly predicted a higher condom efficacy for young men, but not women.

Influence of the parent-adolescent relationship on condom use among South Korean male college students.

This study examined the mediating role of condom self-efficacy between the parent-adolescent relationship and the intention to use condoms with a submodel based on the Theory of Planned Behavior. Male students aged 18-25 years (n = 176) were recruited from a university in Seoul, South Korea, using a flyer and self-referral in 2004. A sample of 170 male students was retained for the final data analyses as six subjects had incomplete data on more than one instrument. Condom self-efficacy completely mediated the prediction of intention to use condoms by the quality of the mother-son relationship. However, condom self-efficacy did not mediate the relationship between the quality of the father-son relationship and the intention to use condoms. Only an indirect effect between the quality of the father-son relationship and the intention to use condoms existed. The suggested sex education programs should develop culture-specific, theory-based, and family-based interventions in order to reduce risky sexual behavior among South Korean adolescents.

Translation of scales in cross-cultural research: issues and techniques.

AIMS: This paper is a report of a study designed to: (i) describe issues and techniques of translation of standard measures for use in international research; (ii) identify a user-friendly and valid translation method when researchers have limited resources during translation procedure; and (iii) discuss translation issues using data from a pilot study as an example. BACKGROUND: The process of translation is an important part of cross-cultural studies. Cross-cultural researchers are often confronted by the need to translate scales from one language to another and to do this with limited resources. METHOD: The lessons learned from our experience in a pilot study are presented to underline the importance of using appropriate translation procedures. The issues of the back-translation method are discussed to identify strategies to ensure success when translating measures. FINDINGS: A combined technique is an appropriate method to maintain the content equivalences between the original and translated instruments in international research. There are several possible combinations of translation techniques. However, there is no gold standard of translation techniques because the research environment (e.g. accessibility and availability of bilingual people) and the research questions are different. CONCLUSIONS: It is important to use appropriate translation procedures and to employ a combined translation technique based on the research environment and questions.

Evaluating the Theory of Planned Behavior to explain intention to engage in premarital sex amongst Korean college students: a questionnaire survey.

BACKGROUND: To reduce risky adolescent sexual behavior, education programs must be tailored to specific cultures and stage of adolescence. OBJECTIVES: This study describes the self-reported sexual behavior of Korean college students and examines the efficiency of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TpB) in explaining intention of engaging in premarital sex in order to provide insights for a potential sex education program designed to reduce risky sexual behavior. DESIGN: A cross-sectional, correlational design using an exploratory survey method was used. PARTICIPANTS: Participants were recruited from a university in Korea with a flyer posted at the entrance of the student health service center, and self-referral in 2004. Male and female unmarried college students aged 18 to 25 were included. Foreign students and students with visible physical problems were excluded. Three hundred and twenty of 550 students returned the questionnaire packets. Final data analysis included 298 students after deleting incomplete data. METHODS: Participants completed six questionnaires: (1) Background and Sexual Behavior Questionnaire, including items related to perceived risk of sexual behavior, (2) Parent-Adolescent Communication Scale, and four scales related to TpB construct: (3) modified Premarital Sexual Attitude Scale, (4) Referent group Approval of Sex Behavior Scale, (5) Sexual Abstinence Efficacy Scale and (6) modified version of Doswell's Intention of Sexual Behavior Scale. RESULTS: Premarital sexual attitude, abstinence self-efficacy and referent group norms were significant predictors of intention of premarital sex for male students with a large effect, but only attitude and norms predicted intention of premarital sex for female students. CONCLUSION: The TpB may be an effective theory to guide the development of theory-driven sexual abstinence interventions to reduce risky sexual behavior for Korean males, while the Theory of Reasoned Action may be an effective theory for Korean females.