Development of a culturally, theoretically and developmentally based survey instrument for assessing risk behaviors among African-American early adolescents living in urban low-income neighborhoods.
The creation of developmentally and culturally appropriate data-gathering instruments is necessary as health researchers and interventionists expand their investigations to community-based minority adolescent populations. The creation of such instruments is a complex process, requiring the integration of multiple data-gathering and analytic approaches. Recent efforts have delineated several issues to be considered in survey design for minority populations: community collaboration; problem conceptualization; application of the presumed model of behavioral change; and dialect and format of delivery. This paper describes the process of creating a culturally and developmentally appropriate, theoretically grounded instrument for use in monitoring the impact of an AIDS educational intervention on the behavior and health outcomes of urban African-American pre-adolescents and early adolescents. Three phases of research were involved: preliminary (and ongoing) ethnographic research including extensive participant observation, as well as, focus group and individual interviews with 65 youths; construction and testing of the preliminary instrument involving two waves of pilot testing (N1 = 57; N2 = 45); and, finalization of the instrument including reliability testing and assessment of tool constructs and selection of the mode of delivery (involving 2 additional waves of pilot testing (N3 = 91; N4 = 351). The essential role played by the community in all phases of instrument development is underscored.
Stanton
B
B
Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland, Baltimore 21201, USA.
Black
M
M
Feigelman
S
S
Ricardo
I
I
Galbraith
J
J
Li
X
X
Kaljee
L
L
Keane
V
V
Nesbitt
R
R
D000293:Adolescent; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002648:Child; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology / Q000635:transmission*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011203:Poverty / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012307:Risk Factors; D014505:Urban Population