Quality and measurement properties of sexual health knowledge tools for adolescents: A rapid review

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of instruments designed for assessing sexual and reproductive health knowledge among adolescents. Methods: Rapid review using the 2018 version of the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) checklist. Results: This review included fourteen studies from 1983-2022, identifying sixteen Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs), mainly using Likert scales and self-administration. The overall methodological quality was deemed "Inadequate" per COSMIN standards. Although studies often addressed reliability and structural validity, only five covered hypothesis testing. Responsiveness and interpretability were addressed in one study each, while criterion validity was neglected. Among the instruments, the Sexual Health Questionnaire (SHQ) was distinguished for its robustness in several areas including notable construct validity, explaining 68.25% of the variance, high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha: 0.90), and reliable test-retest results over 7 weeks, confirmed by Wilcoxon nonparametric test. Conclusion: The study underscores the urgent need for standardised, comprehensive development and validation of the PROMs on sexual health in adolescents. Practice implications: This review highlights the urgent need for research to refine existing PROMs and develop new ones for assessing adolescent sexual and reproductive health knowledge, aligning with global educational commitments and advancing the field.