title: Reliability of the Marlowe-Crowne social desirability scale in Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, and Uganda.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Studies of HIV often use self-reported surveys to measure sexual knowledge, attitudes, and practices. However, the self-reported data are vulnerable to social desirability (SD), a propensity of individuals to report favorable responses. The Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale (MC-SDS) was developed as a measure of the effect of social desirability, but it has not been adapted for or used in Africa. This study aimed to apply the MC-SDS nested in an HIV behavioral intervention program and to measure its reliability in four African countries.
  
  
  METHODS
  The MC-SDS was adapted based on consultations with local stakeholders and pilot tested in Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, and Uganda. Trained interviewers administered the modified 28-item MC-SDS survey to 455 men and women (ages 15-24 years). The scores for the social desirability scales were calculated for all participants. An analysis of the internal consistency of responses was conducted using the Cronbach's α coefficient. Acceptable internal consistency was defined as an α coefficient of ≥ 0.70.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean social desirability scores ranged from a low of 15.7 in Kenya to a high of 20.6 in Mozambique. The mean score was 17.5 for Uganda and 20.6 for Mozambique. The Cronbach's α coefficients were 0.63 in Kenya, 0.66 in Mozambique, 0.70 in Uganda, and 0.80 in Ethiopia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The MC-SDS can be effectively adapted and implemented in sub-Saharan Africa. The reliability of responses in these settings suggest that the MC-SDS could be a useful tool for capturing potential SD in surveys of HIV related risk behaviors.
authors.affiliation: International Emergency and Public Health Fellowship Program, Department of Emergency Medicine, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA. avu@jhsph.edu
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vu
authors.forename: Nhan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tran
authors.forename: Kiemanh
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pham
authors.forename: Saifuddin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ahmed
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D005002:Ethiopia; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007630:Kenya; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D009073:Mozambique; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012928:Social Desirability; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*; D014177:Translations; D014454:Uganda; D055815:Young Adult