Scale reliability and construct validity: a pilot study among primary school children in Northern Tanzania

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Adolescent Health
• Health Education

Background:

• Adolescent health surveys are crucial for understanding and addressing health challenges.
• The World Health Organization (WHO) provides standardized tools for assessing knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and practices (KABP).
• Tailoring survey instruments to local contexts is essential for accurate data collection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To pilot test a KABP questionnaire for assessing AIDS-related knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and practices among primary school children in Tanzania.
• To evaluate the reliability and construct validity of the adapted KABP survey.
• To determine the feasibility of using KABP questionnaires in Tanzanian school settings.

Main Methods:

• Development of a written questionnaire based on WHO standardized inventories.
• Pilot testing with 472 fifth and sixth graders across four schools in Arusha and Kilimanjaro regions, Tanzania.
• Analysis of student comprehension, willingness to complete the survey, and non-response patterns.

Main Results:

• The majority of students understood and completed the questionnaire willingly.
• No significant relationship was found between non-response and question sensitivity.
• AIDS-related knowledge and sexual behavior attitudes demonstrated acceptable reliability and construct validity.
• Perceived social norms and self-efficacy measures require further refinement.

Conclusions:

• KABP questionnaires are a viable method for AIDS-related surveys among Tanzanian school children.
• Adaptation of survey instruments to local social and cultural contexts is critical for effective implementation.
• Further development of specific KABP components is recommended for enhanced accuracy.