Adaptation and validation of a questionnaire about risk behaviors for AIDS among drug users

Abstract

Objectives: To initiate the process of validation of an instrument based on an American self-reported questionnaire named RAB (Risk Assessment Battery) -- called CRA in its Brazilian version --, which covers aspects related to drug use, HIV testing, sexual behavior and concern with the transmission of the virus. The questionnaire was back-translated and its concurrent validity was tested, as well as the utility of an Overall Risk Score (ORS) for the transmission of the HIV virus or of subscores for Drug Use (SDU) or Sexual Risk (SSR). Methods: Case vignettes of ten typical cases had their questionnaire scores compared with the impression of independent referees. Results: There were systematic differences in the comparison with the specific referees for each area, suggesting that only the ORS has clinical validity, specifically regarding the exposure to risk of infection/reinfection by HIV. Conclusion: The questionnaire in its current use and format is not adequate to express impairment already caused by exposure to the virus. The specific subscores were not clinically valid to express such risk, and the instrument needs the addition of a more comprehensive section about intravenous drug use to be used in future studies.

Sexual Sensation Seeking, Transactional Sex, and Rural African American Cocaine Users

“…Sexual risk behaviors assessed include number and gender of partners, types of sex (oral, vaginal, and anal), condom use, and transactional sex. The RBA has been well validated among men and women in diverse samples by multiple NIDA-funded investigators (Pechansky, Hirakata, & Metzger, 2002; Weinhardt, Forsyth, Carey, Jaworski, & Durant, 1998). Transactional sex was scored as yes if a respondent indicated any instance of trading of oral, anal, and/or vaginal sex for food, shelter, drugs, money, or other commodities in the previous 30 days.…”

Alcohol, drugs, and risky sexual behavior are related to HIV infection in female adolescents

“…12 The RAB is a self-applied questionnaire translated and validated into Brazilian Portuguese. 6,13 It assesses drug and sexual behaviors throughout life, over the previous six months, and during the month prior to data collection, as well as basic demographic data. The instrument comprises 38 questions.…”

Using thought mapping and structured stories to decrease HIV risk behaviors among cocaine injectors and crack smokers in the South of Brazil

“…Originally designed by Metzger et al (1993), the RAB is easy to administer as a self-reported questionnaire, which provides a general risk score in addition to two subscores for drug related or sex risk related behaviors. The RAB has been used in Porto Alegre 8,31 and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 32 Since previous studies conducted with this version of the RAB did not provide sufficient evidence of its psychometric characteristics with regard to overall score and subscores, the authors decided to use individual questions and clusters of questions from the questionnaire that have proven to be appropriate for its use in the process of its adaptation to Brazilian Portuguese.…”