Risky behavior index: Construction and analysis of psychometric properties

Abstract

Adolescents adopt risk taking behaviours that may contribute or hinder their development, which demand scientific and professional attention. The aim of the present study is to discuss the construction process and the analysis of the psychometric properties of the Behavioral Risk Index. The process included four steps: literature review, item selection, preliminary and final analysis of psychometric properties. A database with 466 students, between the ages of 11-19 years, from public schools in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, was used. The final version of the index has 17 items, divided into four factors (risky sexual behavior, substance use, delinquent and suicidal behavior) and it presented satisfactory internal consistency (α = 0.84). This instrument enables the simultaneous evaluation of multiple behavioral risks and identifies the prevalence and co-occurrence of these behaviors in adolescents or young adults, contributing to the scientific and professional attention to adolescence.