Description

The Weighted Topics Measure of Family Sexual Communication is a tool used to assess communication regarding sexual health topics within the family. This tool aims to measure the quality and frequency of discussions about sexual issues between parents and children. Below is a detailed description of the goals, analysis, and scoring of the scale, as well as related literature.

Objective

The main objective of the Weighted Topics Measure of Family Sexual Communication is to evaluate the extent and depth of sexual communication within the family. More specifically:

Quantitative assessment: Evaluating the frequency with which various sexual topics are discussed.
Qualitative assessment: Understanding how thoroughly and in what manner these topics are discussed.
Identification of barriers: Recognizing factors that may affect open communication about sexual health issues.

Analysis

The scale includes various topics related to sexual health, such as:

Sexual education
Precautions and prevention of sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
Issues of consent and sexual relationships
Contraception and family planning

Each topic is assessed in terms of the frequency and depth with which it is discussed. Participants respond to a series of questions that analyze the importance of each topic in family communication.

Scoring

Scoring is based on two main dimensions:

Frequency of discussions: Participants evaluate how often each topic is discussed, using a Likert scale (e.g., 1 = never, 5 = very often).
Depth of discussions: Participants assess the depth of the discussion, considering the completeness and detail of the information exchanged.

The final score results from the combination of frequency and depth of discussions, providing a comprehensive picture of the quality of family communication.

References

Jaccard, J., & Dittus, P. J. (1993). Parent-adolescent communication about premarital pregnancy. Family Relations, 42(4), 306-312.
Warren, C. W., et al. (1997). Family discussion about sex, and the use of birth control and condoms by teens. Family Planning Perspectives, 29(5), 220-225.
Kirby, D. (2001). Emerging Answers: Research Findings on Programs to Reduce Teen Pregnancy (Summary). American Journal of Health Education, 32(5), 287-291.