Open AccessStigma Against Children Affected by AIDS (SACAA): Psychometric Evaluation of a Brief Measurement Scale
Author(s) -
Junfeng Zhao,
Xiaoming Li,
Xiaoyi Fang,
Yan Hong,
Guoxiang Zhao,
Xiuyun Lin,
Liying Zhang,
Bonita Stanton
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
aids and behavior
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.994
H-Index - 106
eISSN - 1573-3254
pISSN - 1090-7165
DOI - 10.1007/s10461-009-9629-8
Subject(s) - psychosocial , health psychology , clinical psychology , stigma (botany) , public health , scale (ratio) , psychopathology , psychometrics , psychology , construct validity , psychiatry , medicine , physics , nursing , quantum mechanics
The current study was designed to develop and evaluate a brief scale measuring perceived public stigma against children affected by HIV/AIDS. The participants include 755 children who have lost one or both parents to HIV/AIDS (AIDS orphans), 466 children facing the potential of losing their parents to HIV/AIDS (vulnerable children), and 404 comparison children who did not have HIV-related illness or death in their families. The data in this study demonstrated that the SACAA scale provides a psychometrically sound measure of perceived stigma against children affected by AIDS in China. The SACAA scale is a reliable measure for children of both genders, at different developmental stages, and for both children affected by HIV/AIDS and comparison children. Known-group validation and correlation analysis demonstrate excellent construct validity of this brief SACAA scale. The SACAA score was positively associated with psychopathological symptoms and negatively associated with psychosocial well-being among participating children.