Journal of Adolescent Health
Volume 44, Issue 3 , Pages 214-221 , March 2009

Test–Retest Reliability of Self-Reported HIV/STD-Related Measures Among African-American Adolescents in Four U.S. Cities

  • Peter A. Vanable, Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York
    • Corresponding Author InformationAddress correspondence to: Peter A. Vanable, Ph.D., Center for Health and Behavior, Syracuse University, 430 Huntington Hall, Syracuse, New York 13244.
    • ,
  • Michael P. Carey, Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York
    • ,
  • Jennifer L. Brown, M.S.

      Affiliations

    • Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York
    • ,
  • Ralph J. DiClemente, Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
    • ,
  • Laura F. Salazar, Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
    • ,
  • Larry K. Brown, M.D.

      Affiliations

    • Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
    • ,
  • Daniel Romer, Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
    • ,
  • Robert F. Valois, Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina
    • ,
  • Michael Hennessy, Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
    • ,
  • Bonita F. Stanton, M.D.

      Affiliations

    • Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan

Received 26 June 2008 ,Accepted 18 September 2008.

References 

  1. Schroder KE, Carey MP, Vanable PA. methodological challenges in research on sexual risk behavior: II. Accuracy of self-reports. Ann Behav Med. 2003;26:104–123
  2. Catania JA, Gibson DR, Chitwood DD, Coates TJ. Methodological problems in AIDS behavioral research: influences on measurement error and participation bias in studies of sexual behavior. Psychol Bull. 1990;108:339–362
  3. Weinhardt LS, Forsyth AD, Carey MP, et al. Reliability and validity of self-report measures of HIV-related sexual behavior: progress since 1990 and recommendations for research and practice. Arch Sex Behav. 1998;27:155–180
  4. Carey MP, Carey KB, Maisto SA, et al. Assessing sexual risk behaviour with the Timeline Followback (TLFB) approach: continued development and psychometric evaluation with psychiatric outpatients. Int J STD AIDS. 2001;12:365–375
  5. Stone VE, Catania JA, Binson D. Measuring change in sexual behavior: concordance between survey measures. J Sex Res. 1999;36:102–108
  6. Needle R, Fisher DG, Weatherby N, et al. Reliability of self-reported HIV risk behaviors of drug users. Psychol Addict Behav. 1995;9:242–250
  7. McElrath K, Chitwood DD, Griffin DK, Comerford M. The consistency of self-reported HIV risk behavior among injection drug users. Am J Public Health. 1994;84:1965–1970
  8. Brener ND, Billy JO, Grady WR. Assessment of factors affecting the validity of self-reported health-risk behavior among adolescents: evidence from the scientific literature. J Adolesc Health. 2003;33:436–457
  9. Siegel DM, Aten MJ, Roghmann KJ. Self-reported honesty among middle and high school students responding to a sexual behavior questionnaire. J Adolesc Health. 1998;23:20–28
  10. Palen LA, Smith EA, Caldwell LL, et al. Inconsistent reports of sexual intercourse among South African high school students. J Adolesc Health. 2008;42:221–227
  11. Upchurch DM, Lillard LA, Aneshensel CS, Fang Li N. Inconsistencies in reporting the occurence and timing of first intercourse among adolescents. J Sex Res. 2002;39:197–206
  12. Leigh BC, Morrison DM, Trocki K, Temple MT. Sexual behavior of American adolescents: results from a U.S. national survey. J Adolesc Health. 1994;15:117–125
  13. Jaccard J, Wan CK. A paradigm for studying the accuracy of self-reports of risk behavior relevant to AIDS: empirical perspectives on stability, recall bias, and transitory influences. J Appl Soc Psychol. 1995;25:1831–1858
  14. Brener ND, Kann L, McManus T, et al. Reliability of the 1999 youth risk behavior survey questionnaire. J Adolesc Health. 2002;31:336–342
  15. Hearn KD, O'Sullivan LF, Dudley CD. Assessing reliability of early adolescent girls’ reports of romantic and sexual behavior. Arch Sex Behaiv. 2003;32:513–521
  16. Romer D, Hornik R, Stanton B, et al. “Talking” computers: a reliable and private method to conduct interviews on sensitive topics with children. J Sex Res. 1997;34:3–9
  17. Sieving R, Hellerstedt W, McNeely C, et al. Reliability of self-reported contraceptive use and sexual behaviors among adolescent girls. J Sex Res. 2005;42:159–166
  18. Schrimshaw EW, Rosario M, Meyer-Bahlburg HF, Scharf-Matlick AA. Test–retest reliability of self-reported sexual behavior, sexual orientation, and psychosexual milestones among gay, lesbian, and bisexual youths. Arch Sex Behav. 2006;35:225–234
  19. Ajzen I, Albarracín D. Predicting and changing behavior: a reasoned action approach. In:  Ajzen I,  Albarracín D,  Hornik R editor. Prediction and Change of Health Behavior. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum; 2007;p. 1–22
  20. Jaworski BC, Carey MP. Development and psychometric evaluation of a self-administered questionnaire to measure knowledge of sexually transmitted diseases. AIDS Behav. 2007;11:557–574
  21. Williams ML, Freeman RC, Bowen AM, et al. A comparison of the reliability of self-reported drug use and sexual behaviors using computer-assisted versus face-to-face interviewing. AIDS Educ Prev. 2000;12:199–213
  22. Dowling-Guyer S, Johnson ME, Fisher DG, et al. Reliability of drug users’ self-reported HIV risk behavior and validity of self-reported drug use. Assessment. 1994;1:383–392
  23. McLaws M-L, Oldenburg B, Ross MW, Cooper DA. Sexual behavior in AIDS-related research: reliability and validity of recall and diary measures. J Sex Res. 1990;27:265–281
  24. Des Jarlais DC, Paone D, Milliken J, Turner CF, et al. Audio-computer interviewing to measure risk behaviour for HIV among injecting drug users: a quasi-randomised trial. Lancet. 1999;353:1657–1661
  25. Brown JL, Vanable PA, Eriksen MD. Computer-assisted self-interviews: a cost effectiveness analysis. Behav Res Methods. 2008;40:1–7
  26. Vanable PA, Carey MP, Bostwick RA, et al. Community partnerships in adolescent HIV prevention research: the experience of project iMPPACS. In: Stanton B, Galbraith J, eds. The Uncharted Path from Clinic-Based to Community-Based Research. Hauppauge: Nova, in press.
  27. CDC . Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance. United States, 2005 Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2006;
  28. CDC . Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Diagnoses of HIV/AIDS–-33 States. 2001–2004 Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2006;
  29. Vanable PA, McKirnan DJ, Buchbinder SP, et al. Alcohol use and high-risk sexual behavior among men who have sex with men: the effects of consumption level and partner type. Health Psychol. 2004;23:525–532
  30. Brown JL, Vanable PA. Alcohol use, partner type, and risky sexual behavior among college students: findings from an event-level study. Addict Behav. 2007;32:2940–2952
  31. Carey MP, Carey KB, Maisto SA, et al. Reducing HIV-risk behavior among adults receiving outpatient psychiatric treatment: results from a randomized controlled trial. J Consult Clin Psychol. 2004;72:252–268
  32. Carey MP, Schroder KE. Development and psychometric evaluation of the brief HIV Knowledge Questionnaire. AIDS Educ Prev. 2002;14:172–182
  33. Galavotti C, Cabral RJ, Lansky A, et al. Validation of measures of condom and other contraceptive use among women at high risk for HIV infection and unintended pregnancy. Health Psychol. 1995;14:570–578
  34. Zimmerman RS, Sprecher S, Langer LM, Holloway CD. Adolescents’ perceived ability to say “no” to unwanted sex. J Adolesc Res. 1995;10:383–399
  35. Stanton B, Black M, Feigelman S, et al. Development of a culturally, theoretically and developmentally based survey instrument for assessing risk behaviors among African-American early adolescents living in urban low-income neighborhoods. AIDS Educ Prev. 1995;7:160–177
  36. Nunnally JC, Bernstein I. Psychometric theory. 3rd edition. New York: McGraw-Hill; 1994;
  37. Allen MJ, Yen WM. Introduction to measurement theory. Long Grove, IL: Waveland Press; 1979;
  38. Landis JR, Koch GG. The measurement of observer agreement for categorical data. Biometrics. 1977;33:159–174
  39. Cicchetti DV. Guidelines, criteria, and rules of thumb for evaluating normed and standardized assessment instruments in psychology. Psychol Assess. 1994;6:284–290
  40. Janssen RS, Holtgrave DR, Valdiserri RO, et al. The serostatus approach to fighting the HIV epidemic: prevention strategies for infected individuals. Am J Public Health. 2001;91:1019–1024
  41. Sznitman SR, Romer D, Brown L, et al. Prevalence, correlates and STI risk related to coitus interruptus (withdrawal) among African-American adolescents. Sex Transm Dis. In Press.
  42. Schroder KE, Carey MP, Vanable PA. Methodological challenges in research on sexual risk behavior: I. Item content, scaling, and data analytical options. Ann Behav Med. 2003;26:76–103
  43. Al-Tayyib AA, Rogers SM, Gribble JN, et al. Effect of low medical literacy on health survey measurements. Am J Public Health. 2002;92:1478–1480
  44. Sanders SA, Reinisch JM. Would you say you “had sex” if…?. JAMA. 1999;281:275–277
  45. O'Sullivan LF. Challenging assumptions regarding the validity of self-report measures: the special case of sexual behavior. J Adolesc Health. 2008;42:207–208
  46. Durant LE, Carey MP. Self-administered questionnaires versus face-to-face interviews in assessing sexual behavior in young women. Arch Sex Behav. 2000;29:309–322

 This research was supported by a cooperative agreement from the National Institute of Mental Health (Pim Brouwers, Program Officer) to the following sites: Columbia, SC (U01-MH66802; Robert Valois, PI); Macon, GA (U01-MH066807; Ralph DiClemente, PI); Philadelphia, PA (U01-MH066809; Daniel Romer, PI); Providence, RI (U01-MH-066785; Larry Brown, PI); Syracuse, NY (U01-MH-66794; Peter Vanable, PI).

PII: S1054-139X(08)00410-2

doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2008.09.002

Journal of Adolescent Health
Volume 44, Issue 3 , Pages 214-221 , March 2009

Article Tools

* Image Usage & Resolution