Testing of the factor structure of the Sexual Health Knowledge Measure with young adolescent Taiwanese girls

Knowledge of sexual health is an important indicator of the development of healthy adolescent sexuality. An evaluation instrument in nursing school practice, whose results can lead to improved sexual health in adolescents, is needed. We conducted this study to undertake rigorous testing of the Sexual Health Knowledge Scale (SHKS) as a means to ensure a reliable and valid quantitative measure of sexual health knowledge among young adolescent females. A panel of experts assessed the content validity of the 40-item measure. Initial testing involved 481 female adolescents (12-14 years old), using principal component factor analysis with varimax rotation and the determination of Cronbach's alpha coefficients. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted using data from an additional sample of 234 female adolescents (12-14 years old). Principal component factor analysis yielded a four-factor solution with eigenvalues greater than 1 that explained 43.40% of the variance. As a result of the analysis of the scale, 22 items were deleted, resulting in an 18-item scale. The CFA identified a second-order factor termed "sexual health knowledge." Goodness-of-fit indices showed an acceptable fit overall with the full model (χ(2)/df (131) = 1.69, RMSEA = 0.054, RMR = 0.013, CFI = 0.92, and GFI = 0.99). We determined that the SHKS is a reliable and valid measure, with good composite reliabilities and goodness-of-fit indices.