Figure 1
Respondents’ evaluations of the The Attitudes toward Adolescent Confidentiality Scale items_
| Item | Mean score ± Standard deviation | Min-Max | Skewness | Kurtosis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1- Adolescent won’t share sensitive information regarding sexual and reproductive health with physician if they fear that parents might find out. | 3.65±1.07 | 1–5 | −0.594 | −0.244 |
| A2- With confidentiality guaranteed adolescent patients will more likely seek medical help, speak openly about risky behaviors and continue with the treatment of reproductive health issues. | 4.24±0.97 | 1–5 | −1.666 | 2.693 |
| A3- Confidentiality is important for establishing a relationship of trust between the physician and the adolescent patient. | 4.65±0.76 | 1–5 | −2.941 | 10.091 |
| A4- By respecting confidentiality a physician shows respect for the adolescent patient’s person. | 4.63±0.79 | 1–5 | −3.008 | 10.275 |
| A5-Confidentiality is the ethical duty of every physician. | 4.74±0.72 | 1–5 | −3.612 | 14.267 |
| A6- A 15-year-old adolescent is capable of independent decision-making. | 2.47±098 | 1–5 | 0.202 | −0.226 |
| A7- A 15-year-old adolescent is capable of independently consenting to a medical procedure. | 2.31±1.01 | 1–5 | 0.319 | −0.650 |
| A8- Adolescents are not able to adequately predict the long-term consequences of their decisions. | 1.93±0.82 | 1–5 | 0.782 | 0.737 |
| A9- Adolescents don’t possess adequate competence for decision-making. | 3.05±0.89 | 1–5 | 0.025 | 0.119 |
| A10- Parents are legally responsible for their children until the age of majority, therefore they have a right to be informed about all facts regarding their child’s health. | 1.84±0.97 | 1–5 | 0.905 | 0.090 |
| A11- Adolescents communicate poorly with their parents about sexuality and reproductive health problems. | 3.64±0.79 | 1–5 | −0.384 | 0.212 |
| A12- Parents have difficulty accepting their adolescent children’s emerging sexuality. | 3.45±0.87 | 1–5 | −0.391 | 0.126 |
| A13- Adolescents should be provided confidential counseling on sexual and reproductive health. | 4.47±0.80 | 1–5 | −1.862 | 4.241 |
| A14- Adolescents should be provided confidential contraceptive pill prescriptions. | 3.80±1.22 | 1–5 | −0.795 | −0.368 |
| A15-Adolescents should be provided confidential diagnostics of STDs. | 3.74±1.29 | 1–5 | −0.677 | −0.823 |
| A16-Adolescents should be provided confidential treatment of STDs. | 3.59±1.33 | 1–5 | −0.555 | −0.962 |
| A17-Adolescents should be provided confidential pregnancy testing and prenatal care. | 2.78±1.50 | 1–5 | 0.245 | −1.315 |
| A18- Adolescents should be provided confidential abortion service. | 2.33±1.36 | 1–5 | 0.679 | −0.733 |
| A19- Adolescents should be provided confidential treatment of ovarian cysts. | 2.80±1.46 | 1–5 | 0.244 | −1.297 |
Correlations among 4 subscale scores_
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | .24** | ||
| 3 | .42** | .17* | |
| 4 | .20* | .35** | .07 |
Factor loadings after varimax rotation and Kronbach alphas for the final 19-item scale_
| Scale items | Factor I | Factor II | Factor III | Factor IV | Kronbach alpha if item was deleted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1- Adolescent won’t share sensitive information regarding sexual and reproductive health with physician if they fear that parents might find out. | 0.692 | 0.836 | |||
| A2- With confidentiality guaranteed adolescent patients will more likely seek medical help, speak openly about risky behaviors and continue with the treatment of reproductive health issues. | 0.616 | 0.838 | |||
| A3- Confidentiality is important for establishing a relationship of trust between the physician and the adolescent patient. | 0.843 | 0.833 | |||
| A4- By respecting confidentiality a physician shows respect for the adolescent patient’s person. | 0.904 | 0.831 | |||
| A5-Confidentiality is the ethical duty of every physician. | 0.822 | 0.833 | |||
| A6- A 15-year-old adolescent is capable of independent decision-making. | 0.729 | 0.826 | |||
| A7- A 15-year-old adolescent is capable of independently consenting to a medical procedure. | 0.722 | 0.828 | |||
| A8- Adolescents are not able to adequately predict the long-term consequences of their decisions. | 0.461 | 0.842 | |||
| A9- Adolescents don’t possess adequate competence for decision-making. | 0.531 | 0.843 | |||
| A10- Parents are legally responsible for their children until the age of majority, therefore they have a right to be informed about all facts regarding their child’s health. | 0.546 | 0.839 | |||
| A11- Adolescents communicate poorly with their parents about sexuality and reproductive health problems. | 0.682 | 0.839 | |||
| A12- Parents have difficulty accepting their adolescent children’s emerging sexuality. | 0.673 | 0.841 | |||
| A13- Adolescents should be provided confidential counseling on sexual and reproductive health. | 0.344 | 0.836 | |||
| A14- Adolescents should be provided confidential contraceptive pill prescriptions. | 0.560 | 0.825 | |||
| A15-Adolescents should be provided confidential diagnostics of STDs. | 0.882 | 0.819 | |||
| A16-Adolescents should be provided confidential treatment of STDs. | 0.909 | 0.816 | |||
| A17-Adolescents should be provided confidential pregnancy testing and prenatal care. | 0.819 | 0.814 | |||
| A18- Adolescents should be provided confidential abortion service. | 0.745 | 0.818 | |||
| A19- Adolescents should be provided confidential treatment of ovarian cysts. | 0.649 | 0.830 | |||
| A20- The family should be involved in making important decisions regarding the health of all its members.* | 0.002 | 0.228 | 0.288 | 0.287 |
Characteristics of 4 subscales_
| Subscale | Number of items | Mean ±SD (Range) | Tertile | Cronbach alpha |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Confidentiality in specific situations | 7 | 23.51±6.725 (7–35) | Middle | 0.863 |
| 2. Importance of confidentiality | 4 | 18.26±2.664 (4–20) | Third | 0.830 |
| 3. Adolescent maturity | 5 | 11.59±2.993 (5–25) | First | 0.639 |
| 4. Communication with parents | 3 | 10.74±2.038 (3–15) | Middle | 0.584 |