Reliability and validity of breast cancer screening belief scales in African American women.

The purpose of this study was to describe the psychometric development of culturally sensitive scales to measure beliefs related to mammography and breast self-examination screening. Health Belief Model constructs of susceptibility, benefits, barriers, and self-efficacy were refined from previously existing instruments to reflect cultural sensitivity. A total of 329 African American women 45 to 64 years of age were included in the sample. Construct validity was tested using confirmatory factor analysis and testing of theoretical hypotheses. Cronbach alpha reliability coefficients ranged from .65 to .90, and test-retest reliability ranged from .40 to .68.