Contribución a la validación de la escala de autopercepción del riesgo en adolescentes mexicanos

Abstract

If compared to other periods of life, adolescence is characterized by a tendency to implement more likely behaviors that can be harmful to health. The implementation of such behaviors stems from a complex system of assessments, in which the perception of risk is an important, though not exclusive (Petrillo, 2008), factor. The objective of the present work was contribute to the validation of the Self Risk Perception Scale-SRPS (Donizzetti, 2008) in a population of Mexican adolescents to have a valid and objective instrument that measures the self risk in the area of the health, in five spheres of behavior (diet, exercise, consumption of alcohol and cigarettes, sexuality). 120 students of high school located in Mexico suburban area participated, with an average age of 13.2 years. (D.S = .80). The exploratory and confirmative factor analysis, conducted on each scale of perceived self risk, showed monodimensional structures, with satisfactory psychometric properties. We concluded that this instrument can represent a tool of great utility to elaborate holistic programs of attention to this group.