Development and assessment of an instrument measuring environmental health perception and behavior toward reproductive health of female adolescents.

AIM: This study is aimed to develop and test the measurement of environmental health perceptions and behavior concerning female adolescents' reproductive health.
METHODS: The scales constructed through literature review, in -depth interview, and factor analysis based on the protection motivation theory. The sample comprised 384 female adolescents for exploratory factor analysis, aged 18-22 years, and recruited in September-November 2019 in South Korea. The construct was validated using factor analysis, convergent validity, and known-group comparisons. Reliability was examined using Cronbach's alpha for internal consistency and half-split reliability.
RESULTS: The environmental health perception for female adolescents (EHP-FA) comprises "Sensitivity," "Susceptibility," "Response efficacy," and "Self-efficacy." The environmental health behavior for female adolescents (EHB-FA), based on principal component analysis, yielded 19 items with five factors, including "Chemical reduction," "Electromagnetic reduction," "Food selection," "Cosmetic selection," "Dust & Gas reduction," and explained 62.6% of the variance (Cronbach's α = .93).
CONCLUSION: The utility of EHP-FA and EHB-FA recommend assessment of female youth's environmental attention and health behavior in the community. Nursing professionals can use the scales to promote female adolescents' reproductive health.