Validation of a risky sexual behavior scale in school-age adolescents - Huancayo
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26490/uncp.sl.2025.9.2.2455Keywords:
Risky sexual behaviors, adolescents, psychometricsAbstract
The purpose of this research was to construct and validate a scale to measure risky sexual behaviors in secondary school adolescents in the city of Huancayo, Peru. A quantitative approach was used, with a non-experimental and instrumental design. The sample consisted of 5,790 students aged between 12 and 17, who completed a 21-item Likert-type scale designed to assess three dimensions: prevention and protective environment, risky behaviors, and consequences. Content validity was determined through the judgment of five experts in psychology and sexual health, using Aiken’s V index, with values above 0.70. Exploratory factor analysis with Varimax rotation revealed a three-factor structure consistent with the theoretical framework, with factor loadings exceeding the recommended minimum. Internal consistency, assessed through Cronbach’s alpha coefficient, reached an overall value of 0.97, indicating high internal reliability. Additionally, percentile norms were established to classify risk levels into four categories: no risk, low, medium, and high. No statistically significant differences were found between male and female participants, supporting the scale’s applicability across genders. In conclusion, the validated scale proves to be a psychometrically robust tool, useful for evaluating and identifying adolescents at risk, and applicable in evidence-based prevention and sexual education programs in school and community settings.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Jacqueline Santos, Dr. Alex Grajeda Montalvo, Dr. Carlos Alberto Arenas Iparraguirre
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