The decisional-balance scale is a 14-item measure of decision making regarding general contraception and condom use. It includes 4 domains: cons for IUD, pros for contraception, pros for IUD, and cons for contraception. Items for pros included benefits of using contraception or IUD such as prevention of unwanted pregnancy, and cons included disadvantages such as ‘hassles’ associated with contraceptive methods, personal beliefs, costs, etc.
Geographies Tested: Vietnam
Populations Included: Male
Age Range: Adolescents, Adults
Cons for IUD
1. IUD may cause abdominal pain
2. IUD may cause bleeding
3. IUD may cause problems like dizziness and headache
4. IUD may cause PID (pelvic inflammatory disease)
Pros for contraception
5. Contraception helps you not to deal with results of unwanted pregnancy
6. Your wife would not have to worry about becoming pregnant if using contraception
7. Contraception helps to limit size of the family
8. Contraception helps you to become more responsible for decisions of having children
Pros for IUD
9. IUD may effective in prevention of pregnancy
10. IUD may work for long time
11. IUD use does not require the advanced preparation before having sexual intercourse
Cons for contraception
12. Contraception makes sexual intercourse difficult to do in a family setting
13. Some contraceptive methods are costly
14. Contraception is again your beliefs
Response Options:
Respondents were asked to rate each item on a five-point Likert-type scale ranging from ‘not important’ to ‘very important’.
Raw scores for pros and cons were added. In the current paper these were converted to standardized score, and then to T scores.
Ha, B. T. T., Jayasuriya, R., & Owen, N. (2003). Male involvement in family planning in rural Vietnam: an application of the Transtheoretical Model. Health education research, 18(2), 171-180. https://doi.org/10.1093/her/18.2.171
Psychometric Score
Ease of Use Score
Formative ResearchQualitative Research
Existing Literature/Theoretical Framework
Field Expert Input
Cognitive Interviews / Pilot Testing
ReliabilityInternal
Test-retest
Interrater
ValidityContent
Face
Criterion (gold-standard)
Construct
KEY
Ease of UseReadability
Scoring Clarity
Length
Evidence-based Measures of Empowerment for Research on Gender Equality (EMERGE)
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