Inaccuracies in self-report measures of adolescent risk-taking behaviors

描述（申请人提供）：拟议的R 03研究项目的特点是对来自四个纵向组的数据集进行二次分析-艾滋病毒/性传播感染/妊娠预防方案的随机试验，以提供性和生殖健康领域比以前更详细的信息，有关高危青少年性行为自我报告措施数据不一致的程度和性质-为提高未来措施的准确性提供关键信息。自我报告措施是监测性风险行为和评估预防干预措施有效性的主要方法（McFarlane和St. Lawrence，1999; Upchurch等人，2002; McAuliffe等人，2007; Palen等人，2008; Rose等人，2009年）。决策者根据这些数据的趋势确定优先事项，干预研究人员利用这些数据得出关于预防计划有效性的结论（Upchurch等人，2002; Brener等人，2003; Beguy等人，2009; Rosenbaum，2009）。然而，研究表明，美国青少年对自己性行为的自我报告的不一致率可能很高，从8%到15%不等（罗杰斯等人，1982;亚历山大等人，1993; Upchurch等人，2002; Brener等人，2003; Rosenbaum，2006; Rosenbaum，2009）。此外，从几项研究的结果，在不一致的模式在人口/风险亚组的青少年已经混合，这表明需要进一步的研究。这项拟议中的研究将检查性行为报告中时间内和时间间不一致的总体比率（例如，一生的性经历），并调查了按人口特征和酒精/药物使用定义的各种青年亚组的比率模式。该研究将确定与不一致报告显著相关的因素（例如，性别、酒精/药物使用）使用多水平逻辑回归模型。该研究还将进行事后功效分析，以提供关于删除不同类型的不一致病例对功效的影响的新信息;它将通过确定如果删除不一致病例，需要如何重新加权数据来检查对可推广性的影响。最后，研究结果将通过确定在未来研究中与之探讨的青年群体（例如，R21测量发展），青少年自我报告的性行为不一致背后的潜在原因。关于不一致背后原因的经验信息对于指导策略以提高青少年性行为自我报告测量工具的准确性至关重要。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The proposed R03 research project features secondary analyses of datasets from four longitudinal group- randomized trials of HIV/STI/pregnancy prevention programs to provide the field of sexual and reproductive health with more detailed information than has previously been available about the degree and nature of inconsistencies in data from self-report measures of high-risk adolescents' sexual behaviors - critical information for improving the accuracy of future measures. Self-report measures are the predominant method for monitoring of sexual risk behaviors and evaluation of the effectiveness of prevention interventions (McFarlane and St. Lawrence, 1999; Upchurch et al., 2002; McAuliffe et al., 2007; Palen et al., 2008; Rose et al., 2009). Policy-makers set priorities based on trends in these data and intervention researchers use them to make conclusions about the effectiveness of prevention programs (Upchurch et al., 2002; Brener et al., 2003; Beguy et al., 2009; Rosenbaum, 2009). Yet studies show rates of inconsistencies in U.S. adolescents' self- reports of their own sexual behaviors may be substantial, ranging from 8% to 15% (Rogers et al., 1982; Alexander, et al., 1993; Upchurch et al., 2002; Brener et al., 2003; Rosenbaum, 2006; Rosenbaum, 2009). Furthermore, results from a few studies examining patterns in inconsistencies across demographic/risk subgroups of adolescents have been mixed, suggesting a need for additional research. The proposed study would examine overall rates of within- and across-time inconsistencies in reports of sexual behaviors (e.g., lifetime sexual experience) for each of the fours studies separately, and investigate patterns in rates across various subgroups of youth defined by demographic characteristics and alcohol/drug use. The study would identify factors significantly associated with inconsistent reporting (e.g., gender, alcohol/drug use) using multilevel logistic regression models. The study also would conduct post-hoc power analyses to provide new information on the impact of removing different types of inconsistent cases on power; it would examine impact on generalizability by determining how data would need to be re-weighted if inconsistent cases were removed. Finally, results of the study would move the field forward in improving the accuracy of measurement tools by identifying groups of youth with whom to explore, in a future study (e.g., R21 measurement development), potential reasons behind inconsistencies in adolescents' self-reported sexual behaviors. Empirical information about the reasons behind inconsistencies is essential for guiding strategies to improve the accuracy of self- report measurement tools of adolescent sexual behaviors.