Reliability and validity of self-report measures of HIV-related sexual behavior: progress since 1990 and recommendations for research and practice

The trustworthiness of self-reported sexual behavior data has been questioned since Kinsey's pioneering surveys of sexuality in the United States (Kinsey et al., 1948, 1953). In the era of HIV and AIDS, researchers and practitioners have employed a diversity of assessment techniques but they ha...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Archives of sexual behavior 1998-04, Vol.27 (2), p.155-180
Main Authors: Weinhardt, L S, Forsyth, A D, Carey, M P, Jaworski, B C, Durant, L E
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
Adolescent
Adult
AIDS/HIV
Error of Measurement
Evaluation
Female
Health Planning Guidelines
HIV
HIV Seropositivity - psychology
Human immunodeficiency virus
Humans
Male
Measurement
Methodological Problems
Methodology (Data Collection)
Middle Aged
Reliability
Reproducibility of Results
Risk-Taking
Self Evaluation
Sexual Behavior
Sexual Behavior - psychology
Surveys and Questionnaires
Validity
Citations: Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The trustworthiness of self-reported sexual behavior data has been questioned since Kinsey's pioneering surveys of sexuality in the United States (Kinsey et al., 1948, 1953). In the era of HIV and AIDS, researchers and practitioners have employed a diversity of assessment techniques but they have not escaped the fundamental problem of measurement error. We review the empirical literature produced since Catania et al.'s (1990) review regarding reliability and validity of self-administered and automated questionnaires, face-to-face interviews, telephone interviews, and self-monitoring approaches. We also provide specific recommendations for improving sexual behavior assessment. It is imperative that standardized self-report instruments be developed and used for sexual risk-behavior assessment.
ISSN:0004-0002
1573-2800
DOI:10.1023/a:1018682530519