Developing the Seeking Sexual Healthcare Services Scale among emerging adults

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Psychology
• Sociology

Background:

• Emerging adults exhibit lower utilization rates of sexual healthcare services compared to other age demographics.
• Understanding the behavioral determinants influencing healthcare-seeking actions in this population is crucial for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate the Seeking Sexual Healthcare Services Scale (SSHSS) for assessing emerging adults' behaviors related to accessing sexual healthcare.
• To identify key factors influencing the seeking of sexual healthcare services among emerging adults.

Main Methods:

• Study 1 involved 350 participants to develop an initial 24-item scale, refined through exploratory factor analysis (EFA) into a 17-item, 4-factor model.
• Study 2 included 280 participants and expert review, with a subsequent EFA confirming a 20-item, 4-factor structure: Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare Importance, Perceived Barriers, Perceived Trust and Support, and Stigma.
• Psychometric properties, including internal reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity, were assessed.

Main Results:

• The final 20-item SSHSS demonstrated a robust 4-factor structure.
• Factors identified were: Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare Importance, Perceived Barriers, Perceived Trust and Support, and Stigma.
• The scale exhibited adequate internal reliability and convergent and discriminant validity.

Conclusions:

• The SSHSS is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing sexual healthcare-seeking behaviors in emerging adults.
• This scale can aid further research aimed at enhancing access to and utilization of sexual healthcare services for this population.
• Addressing perceived barriers, stigma, and fostering trust are potential avenues for improving sexual healthcare access.