Measuring Sexual Communication in Adolescent Dating Relationships in Vietnam

Development and Validation of the Sexual Communications Scales for Attitudes, Self-Efficacy, and Behavior

Bibliographic Data

ID21633437
AuthorsIrina Bergenfeld (0000-0003-2601-2854, Emory University), Jessica M Sales (0000-0002-1571-8192, Emory University), Tran Hung Minh (Center for Creative Initiatives in Health and Population), T Minh (0000-0001-7810-1715, Center for Creative Initiatives in Health and Population), Kathryn M Yount (0000-0003-1917-1574, Emory University, corresponding author)
Year2022
Volume73
Issue4
Pages380-396
Publication date2022-07-04
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueCommunication Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1051-0974 • E-ISSN: 1745-1035
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/10510974.2022.2094981
OpenAlexW4283760149
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited34

Sexual communication improves relationship quality and the sexual and reproductive health of both partners. Much of the research on sexual communication among adolescents has been conducted in settings of the Global North and focuses narrowly on sexual health and condom use. Building on prior measures of sexual communication, we developed a set of three scales to measure sexual communication attitudes, self-efficacy, and behavior in adolescent dating relationships and administered the measures to 793 first-year male undergraduates 18–24 years in Hanoi, Vietnam. We used factor analysis to explore and confirm factor structure and assess invariance across relationship history and over time, suggesting a seven-item, two-factor attitudes scale and five-item, unidimensional scales for efficacy and behavior. Participants reported positive attitudes toward sexual communication, with low-to-moderate self-efficacy and behavior. All scales showed good convergent and discriminant validity. These related measures may be useful for identifying individual attitudes, self-efficacy, and behavior relevant to sexual violence prevention programming for adolescents

Adolescent development · Developmental psychology · Sexual behavior · Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health · HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions · LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy · Psychology · Social Psychology

Tools

Open DOIOpen Access