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Objective: This study was conducted to develop the Reproductive Health Scale (RHS) as a valid and reliable measure of adolescents' reproductive behavior. Material and Methods: Data were collected using self-report method from 320 students, aged between 17 - 30 years. Two questionnaires were used in this research: a socio-demographic data form and RHS, developed by the researchers. Kendall coefficient of concordance (W) was used for RHS' content analysis, and stability over time (test-retest reliability) and Pearson product moment correlation coefficient were used for its reliability analysis. In addition, internal consistency, Cronbach alpha calculation, Item to total score correlation technique, split-half and Spearman-Brown reliability coefficients were also calculated. Results: Exploratory principal components' analysis with varimax rotation yielded 34 items consisting of six factors: Partner selection, values in developing protective behavior, consultation, communication with sexual partner, confidence and protection from sexually transmitted diseases, accounting for 48.5% of the variance. Alpha reliability was 0.88; factor reliabilities ranged from 0.55 to 0.84. It was concluded that the adolescents who responded to the scale had more positive attitudes in reproductive health as their scores increased. Conclusion: The results of this study determined that this scale was highly reliable. It is suggested that the scale can be used in reproductive health studies carried out with adolescents and in their education in order to determine their statuses and also its validity and reliability analyses can be performed by applying it to different groups. © 2010 by Türkiye Klinikleri. |
