Measurement in Abstinence Education Critique and Recommendations

• Published in: Evaluation & the health professions Vol. 26; no. 2; pp. 180 - 205
• Main Authors: Smith, Thomas E., Steen, Julie A., Spaulding-Givens, Jennifer, Schwendinger, Andrea
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States SAGE Publications 01.06.2003; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Abstinence; Adolescent; Adolescents; Clinical outcomes; Error of Measurement; Errors; Evaluation Research; Health administration; Health education; Health technology assessment; Humans; Literature Reviews; Longitudinal Studies; Measurement Techniques; Methodology; Outcome and Process Assessment (Health Care); Outcome Measures; Patient Education as Topic - standards; Program Evaluation; Program Evaluation - standards; Programmes; Research Design; Self Disclosure; Selfreport measures; Sentence Structure; Sex education; Sex Education - methods; Sex Education - standards; Sexual Abstinence; Sexual Behavior; Sexual behaviour; Sexuality; Social Bias; Social Desirability; Teenagers; Test Theory; United States; USA; Validity; Young people; United States; measurement error; sexual abstinence education; sexuality; program evaluation; respondent error; health outcome measures; instrument error; adolescent; self-report measures; evaluation of abstinence education
• ISSN: 0163-2787; 1552-3918
• DOI: 10.1177/0163278703026002004

The purpose of this article is to identify, assess, and offer solutions to common measurement errors found in sexual abstinence education evaluation. A critical review of the methodology of adolescent sexuality research was performed. “Gold standards” of their measurement strategy were derived and applied against 14 selected studies. Many of the articles reviewed had substantial limitations in their measurement strategies. However, several articles demonstrated excellence and serve as models for future efforts. Sexual abstinence education evaluation is plagued by the inherent weaknesses of self-report and health outcome measures. However, with careful adherence to the gold standards proposed, it is possible to limit the threat from these weaknesses, maximizing the benefit of self-report surveys and county-level health indicators.