The use of the Risky Sex Scale among adolescents receiving treatment services for substance use problems: Factor structure and predictive validity

Abstract

The present study evaluated the use of the Risky Sex Scale (RSS; O'Hare, 2001) among youth in outpatient treatment for substance use problems. An ethnically diverse sample of 394 adolescents (280 males; Mage = 16.33 years, SDage = 1.15) was recruited from two treatment sites. The study was guided by two aims. First, a confirmatory factor analysis was conducted on RSS item responses. Findings replicated the factor structure identified in previous studies of undergraduate students cited for campus alcohol violations. Second, structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to document associations between RSS subscales and self-reported substance use and sexual risk behaviors. The Risky Sex Expectancies (RSE) subscale was significantly associated with co-occurring alcohol use and sex, alcohol use at last intercourse, and alcohol use during the prior 30 days. The Risky Sex Behaviors (RSB) subscale was significantly associated with cooccurring drug use and sex, condom use at last intercourse and unprotected intercourse during the prior 30 days. The factor structure of the RSS was consistent across age group (12-16 and 16- 18) and across gender, and the links between the RSS subscales and health risk behaviors varied somewhat by gender but not by age group. These findings suggest that the RSS is an appropriate brief screening tool for predicting health risk behaviors among adolescents in substance abuse treatment.

The development of a new condom use expectancy scale for at-risk adults

“…Numerous studies have found outcome expectancies to be correlated with alcohol (Brown, Carrello, Vik, & Porter, 1998; Brown, Christiansen, & Goldman, 1987; Leigh & Stacy, 1993) and other drug use (Schafer & Brown, 1991; Sussman, Dent, & Stacy, 1996). A few studies have found linkages between sex-related alcohol expectancies and social and sexual situations (Brown et al, 1987; D'Amico, Fromme, Katz, D'Amico, & Katz, 1999; Dermen & Cooper, 1994; Tubman, Des Rosiers, Schwartz, & O'Hare, 2012). …”

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Subtypes, Co-Occurring Psychiatric Symptoms and Sexual Risk Behaviors among Adolescents Receiving Substance Abuse Treatment

“…In this sample, the estimated Cronbach alpha was .78 for this subscale. Subscale scores were predictive of independent measures of sex under the influence of drugs, count measures of unprotected sex, and condom use at last intercourse (Tubman, Des Rosiers, Schwartz, & O'Hare, 2012).…”

Consommation de substances psychoactives et sexualité chez les jeunes : une vision globale de la sphère sexuelle

“…utilisation récréative, épisodes d'usage excessif/intoxication aiguë, utilisation régulière/ chronique, phase de sevrage, phase postsevrage/réadaptation) (Cooper, 2006 ;Connell et al, 2009 ;King et al, 2012 ;Lépine, 2011 ;Levy et al, 2009 ;Patrick et Maggs, 2009 ;Tubman et al, 2012). Ces études auraient également avantage à recourir à l'utilisation d'instruments d'évaluation de la sphère sexuelle ayant fait l'objet d'un processus de validation (Rosen et Backmann, 2008).…”