Test-Retest Reliability of Self-Reported Substance Use and Sexual Risk Behavior Among at-Risk Adolescents

Area of Science:

• Adolescent Psychology
• Public Health
• Survey Methodology

Background:

• Adolescent risk behaviors like substance use and risky sexual activity have significant health consequences.
• Accurate measurement of these behaviors is crucial but challenging due to social desirability and legality.
• The Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) is a widely used instrument for assessing these behaviors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the test-retest reliability of the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS).
• To determine if at-risk adolescents can reliably report their engagement in health risk behaviors.

Main Methods:

• A sample of 156 at-risk adolescents (aged 16-18) completed the YRBS twice.
• Retrospective completion was based on typical pre-program behavior.
• Test-retest reliability was assessed using kappa and weighted kappa analyses over 3-12 day intervals.

Main Results:

• The Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) demonstrated moderate to substantial reliability for most items.
• At-risk youth consistently reported their engagement in health risk behaviors across administrations.
• Findings support the psychometric validity of the YRBS for this population.

Conclusions:

• The Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) is a psychometrically sound instrument for assessing adolescent risk behaviors.
• Reliable self-reporting of sensitive behaviors is achievable in supervised settings.
• The YRBS can be confidently used with at-risk adolescent populations.