Translation and psychometric validation of the Arabic version of the Sexual Risky Behaviours Scale (SRBS)

Abstract Background Providing an accurate, simple and quick-to-administer Arabic-language measure of sexual risky behaviour may help provide a clear overview of the prevalence and risk factors of this issues among Arabic-speaking communities, and implement evidence-informed strategies aiming at promoting health, providing relevant information about STIs, and facilitating access to health services in Arab countries. To this end, the present study proposes to validate the Arabic-language version of the Sexual Risky Behaviours Scale (SRBS) in a sample of native Arabic-speaking young adults from the general population of Tunisia. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted during the period from January 1st 2024 to March 1st 2024. The data were collected using a self-administered online questionnaire, which was distributed to potential participants using the snowball sampling technique. Results Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) supported a one-factor solution. The SRBS total scores exhibited robust internal consistency, with McDonald omega coefficient of .84 and a Cronbach alpha coefficient of .83. Furthermore, multi-group CFA analyses examining the sex-based measurement invariance of the SRBS showed that the Arabic version of the scale holds similar factor structure between male and female respondents. Males displayed significantly higher SRBS scores that females. Finally, our findings supported good convergent and concurrent validity of the Arabic SRBS based on significant positive correlations with measures of proneness to risk-taking, impulsivity, and depression. Conclusion Clinicians, counsellors and researchers working in Arab settings are now encouraged to use the Arabic-language SRBS in their routine practices and for conducting more research on the topic, so that prevention activities can be more effectively implemented.