Developing a Scale for Measuring Perceived Barriers to Behavioral Change Towards HIV/AIDS Preventiion
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Date
2006-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Despite the extensive interventions, there hasn’t been a corresponding decline in the rate
of Sero-prevalence of HIV/AIDS. Why could this be the case? In contrary to the
increased knowledge, there appears to be little change in behavior. What is then the
challenge in connecting knowledge to actual behavior change? These challenges haven’t
been identified and measured in local contexts.
The objective of this study was to develop a scale for measuring perceived barriers to
behavioral change towards HIV/AIDS prevention. More specifically, to identify &
describe perceived barriers to behavioral change; to construct a scale for measuring
perceived barriers to behavioral change; to evaluate the reliability and validity of the
scale, and to determine the relative importance of the barriers.
A cross-sectional study with qualitative & quantitative phases was conducted at Debub
University on regular students. The qualitative part, comprising of in-depth interview and
free listing, is designed to identify the major perceived barriers to behavioral change. A
preliminary likert-type scale of items, after pilot test and expert review, was administered
to 480 students, selected using stratified random sampling technique, for rating.
Item analysis criteria selected 28 of the 55 items for factor analysis. Principal component
analysis yielded 5 components explaining 63% of the variance after deletion of two other
items. The total scale has 0.845 reliability and 0.642 validity. The components were
found to measure a single construct. This resulted in a 26-item PBBC instrument. The
enjoyment component was found to have higher weight in regression and the risk
components have higher relative importance in summated scores.
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In conclusion, the instrument developed has acceptable reliability and validity. Further
refining, revising and optimizing of the instrument were recommended
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Keywords
HIV/AIDS