Abstract
The purpose of this study was to validate the use of Leigh’s (1990) alcohol sex expectancies scale among HIV-infected individuals presenting for treatment as a way to facilitate research on sexual risk reduction among individuals in that population. The participants were 944 men who presented for treatment at infectious disease or general medicine clinics across 8 different VA Medical Center sites. A total of 534 of these men were HIV-positive and 410 were HIV-negative. The total sample was randomly divided in half within each HIV group to form exploratory (Sample 1) and confirmatory (Sample 2) subsamples. A principal components factor analysis with oblique rotation of the original 13-item Leigh scale within each HIV group in Sample 1 revealed a 2-factor (7 and 4 items, respectively) solution that was consistent across both HIV groups. These factors were named “More Open to Sexual Pleasure” (Factor 1) and “Reduced Inhibitions about Sex (Factor 2).” A confirmatory factor analysis of the 11-item, 2-factor solution on the full Sample 2 showed a modest fit to the data, excellent internal consistency reliability of both factors, a high correlation between the factors, and strong evidence for construct validity. These results were interpreted as supporting the use of the 11-item, 2-factor version of Leigh’s scale in studies of clinical samples of HIV-positive adults, and directions for research on further scale refinement are discussed.
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This research was supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism grant U10 AA13566.
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Maisto, S.A., McGinnis, K., Cook, R. et al. Factor Structure of Leigh’s (1990) Alcohol Sex Expectancies Scale in Individuals in Treatment for HIV Disease. AIDS Behav 14, 174–180 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-008-9457-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-008-9457-2