Measurement of young women's attitudes about communication with providers regarding Papanicolaou smears

Purpose: To describe the psychometric properties of a scale created to measure communication with the provider regarding Papanicolaou (Pap) smears. Methods: A scale based on expectancy-value theory was developed and administered to 490 young women aged 12 to 24 years in an urban adolescent clinic. Psychometric properties were assessed using factor analysis to evaluate latent variables, intraclass correlation coefficient to evaluate test-retest reliability, and Cronbach coefficient ca to evaluate internal consistency reliability. Content validity was assessed by qualitative interviews, feedback on a pilot survey, and expert review. Construct validity was evaluated by examining whether relevant health care characteristics, knowledge, and attitudes were significantly associated with perceived communication. Results: Mean respondent age was 18.2 +/- 2.1 years; 50% were black and 22% Hispanic. The scale items loaded on one factor. The intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.83 and Cronbach alpha 0.95. Report of a consistent provider, report that a provider recommended a Pap smear, knowledge of Pap smears and Human Papillomavirus (HPV), intention to return for follow-up Pap smears, and positive attitudes about Pap follow-up were significantly associated with good communication. Conclusions: The scale appears to be reliable and valid as a measure of young women's communication with providers regarding Pap smears. Future research should focus on whether this newly developed scale is useful in the design and evaluation of cervical cancer prevention programs for young women. (C) Society for Adolescent Medicine, 2001.