Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Validation of the Sexual and Reproductive Empowerment Scale for Adolescents and Young Adults in Kenya

Abstract

AbstractUnderstanding the levels of power that adolescent girls and young women exercise in their sexual and reproductive lives is imperative to inform interventions to help them meet their goals. We implemented an adapted version of the Sexual and Reproductive Health Empowerment (SRE) Scale for Adolescents and Young Adults among 500 adolescent girls and young women aged 15–20 in Kisumu, Kenya. We used confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to assess factor structure, and logistic regression to examine construct validity through the relationship between empowerment scores and ability to mitigate risk of undesired pregnancy through consistent contraceptive use. Participants had a mean age of 17.5, and most were students (61 percent), were currently partnered (94 percent), and reported having sex in the past 3 months (70 percent). The final, 26‐item CFA model had acceptable fit. All subscales had Cronbach's alpha scores >0.7, and all items had rotated factor loadings >0.5, indicating good internal consistency and robust factor‐variable associations. The total SRE‐Kenya (SRE‐K) score was associated with increased odds of the consistent method used in the past three months (adjusted odds ratio: 1.98, 95 percent CI: 1.29–3.10). The SRE‐K scale is a newly adapted and valid measure of sexual and reproductive empowerment specific to adolescent girls and young women in an East African setting.