title: Evaluation of a psychometric instrument designed to assess the HIV risk behaviors of ex-prisoners.
abstract: This study determined the readability, test-retest reliability, and internal consistency of a questionnaire designed to assess the HIV risk behaviors of ex-prisoners. The questionnaire was administered twice within a 2-week interval to 119 ex-prisoners. The test-retest agreement for the questionnaire's 25 HIV behavior items ranges from 82% to 100%. Of these 25 items, agreement was ''fair'' (k = .20 to .40) for 1, ''moderate'' (k = .40 to .60) for 5, ''substantial'' (k = .60 to .80) for 11, ''almost perfect'' (k = .80 to .99) for 7, and ''perfect'' (k = 1.00) for 1. The overall Cronbach's alpha (Cα) is .81 (p < .001). By subscale, the Cα for tattooing, .89; body piercing, .93; injection drug use, .93; and HIV risk sexual behavior, .79. Based on these findings, the authors conclude that the questionnaire is reliable and internally consistent.
authors.affiliation: College of Health Sciences and the HIV/AIDS Research and Policy Institute, Chicago State University, Chicago, Illinois 60628, USA. JA-Balogun@csu.edu
authors.forename: Joseph A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Balogun
authors.forename: Titilayo C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Abiona
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D046289:Body Modification, Non-Therapeutic / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011329:Prisoners / Q000523:psychology*; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology