Gender Equitable Attitudes Among Adolescents: A Validation Study and Associations with Sexual Health Behaviors

Abstract

Gender inequitable attitudes are associated with violence perpetration and poor sexual health. There is limited diversity in U.S. samples used to validate gender attitudes measurements. This study assessed a 13-item gender equitable attitudes scale's validity among a sample of predominantly Black adolescent boys (n = 866; mean age = 15.5, range = 13-19 years) and examined associations with sexual health behaviors. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses tested construct validity. Logistic mixed-effects models were used to explore associations between gender equitable attitudes, adolescent relationship abuse, pornography use, and condom use behaviors; linear mixed-effects models explored associations between gender equitable attitudes and condom negotiation self-efficacy. By pooling data from two other gender transformative programs, Sisterhood 2.0 (n = 246, 13-19-year-old females (mean age = 15.2), 73.6% Black/African American) and Coaching Boys into Men Middle School (n = 958, 11-14-year-old males-6th grade: 10.4%, 7th grade: 36.5%, 8th grade: 53.1-56.6% white), measurement invariance was assessed across Black (n = 400) and white (n = 298) race and male (n = 429) and female (n = 246) gender. A three-factor 11-item scale showed construct validity among a sample of Black adolescent boys, weak factorial invariance across Black and white race, and configural invariance across male and female gender. Gender equitable attitudes were associated with less adolescent relationship abuse, higher condom negotiation self-efficacy, and less pornography use. These findings demonstrate some variability in measurements of gender equitable attitudes by race and gender. Targeting harmful gender norms may help prevent adolescent relationship abuse and improve sexual health behaviors.

Keywords: Gender equitable attitudes; Measurement invariance; Psychometric evaluation; Sexual health; Violence prevention.

Fig. 1

Flow diagram of analyses: construct validity and measurement invariance by race and gender. The Manhood 2.0 sample was randomly divided in half to conduct exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. The Manhood 2.0 confirmatory factor analysis sample was combined with the Sisterhood 2.0 sample to assess for measurement invariance by gender. The Manhood 2.0 confirmatory factor analysis sample was also combined with the Coaching Boys into Men Middle School sample to assess for measurement invariance by race (including only individuals who were in Grades 8–9 and identified as Black or white race to minimize confounding)

Fig. 2

Parallel analysis and scree plot on the 13-item Gender Equitable Attitudes Scale among Manhood 2.0 Participants