ADOLESCENT STUDENTS' ATTITUDES TOWARDS SEXUALITY: THE CONSTRUCTION AND VALIDATION OF A SCALE

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Adolescent Health
• Sexuality Education

Background:

• Adolescent attitudes toward sexuality are crucial for sexual health and well-being.
• Existing instruments may not adequately capture the nuances of adolescent perspectives on sexuality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To construct a psychometrically sound scale measuring adolescents' attitudes towards sexuality.
• To determine the validity and reliability of the Adolescent Students' Attitude Scale for Sexuality (E3AS) in a Portuguese context.

Main Methods:

• Methodological study involving 394 students (8th-12th grade) in central Portugal.
• Exploratory factor analysis and Cronbach's alpha were used to assess construct validity and internal consistency.
• Data collected via the E3AS questionnaire and socio-demographic information.

Main Results:

• The E3AS comprises 34 items across five factors: Family planning/sex education, First sexual relationship, Sexual rights/unplanned pregnancies, Gender expression/identity, and Unplanned pregnancy/parenting.
• Internal consistency ranged from α=0.542 to α=0.826 for individual factors, with a total alpha of 0.766.
• The scale accounted for 45.3% of the total variance.

Conclusions:

• The E3AS demonstrates adequate psychometric properties for the Portuguese population.
• The E3AS is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing adolescent students' attitudes toward sexuality.
• The scale can be utilized in future research and interventions related to adolescent sexual health.