Equitable Attitudes Scale

1. Men need sex more than women do
2. You don't talk about sex, you just do it
3. It is a woman's responsibility to avoid getting pregnant
4. A man should have the final word about decisions In his home
5. Men are always ready to have sex
6. A woman should tolerate violence to keep the family together
7. A man needs other women even if things with his wife are fine
8. A man can hit his wife if she will not have sex with him
9. A couple should decide together if they want to have children
10. Changing diapers, giving the kids a bath, and feeding the kids are the mothers’ responsibility
11. A woman can suggest using condoms just like a man can
12. A man should know what his partner likes during sex
13. A man and a woman should decide together what type of contraceptive to use
14. A real man produces a male child
15. Men and women should share household chores
16. A woman should not initiate sex

Response Options:
Yes
No

For each item, answers that indicate a more equitable balance of power in the relationship are coded as 1 and answers that indicate a less equitable balance of power in the relationship are coded as 0. When summed, this results in higher scores reflecting a more equal balance of power perceived by the respondent and lower scores reflecting a less equal balance of power. The scores do not indicate a finite amount of power perceived by each individual. For example, for the item 'My partner has more say than I do about important decisions that affect us', a yes answer will receive 0 and a no answer will receive 1.

PRIMARY CITATION:

Stephenson, R., Bartel, D., & Rubardt, M. (2012). Constructs of power and equity and their association with contraceptive use among men and women in rural Ethiopia and Kenya. Global public health, 7(6), 618-634. DOI: 10.1080/17441692.2012.672581