Construct Validity Of Test Instruments For Health Belief Model (HBM) In Cervical Cancer Screening Behavior

Abstract

Health Belief Model (HBM) has been one of the most widely used conceptual frameworks in health behavior research since the early 1950s (Glanz, Rimer & Viswanath, 2008). This concept explains about the change and maintenance of health-related behavior and becomes a guiding framework for health behavior interventions such as screening for cervical cancer. The HBM contains several primary dimensions including perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, cues to action, and self-efficacy. In fact, it has been used to measure women’s beliefs on cervical cancer screening behavior. However, the validity of HBM in assessing Indonesian women’s beliefs should be re-examined. This study was aimed to examine the construct validity of HBM scale for cervical cancer screening behavior using a non probability sample of 227 married women aged between 21-70 years old in South Tangerang, Indonesia. The method of Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was applied and the findings indicated that out of 32 items of HBM scale, two items were evidenced to be invalid (dropped), i.e. items number 22 and 28.