Psychometrics of an original measure of barriers to providing family planning information: Implications for social service providers

Abstract

ABSTRACTSocial service professionals can face challenges in the course of providing family planning information to their clients. This article reports findings from a study that developed an original 27-item measure, the Reproductive Counseling Obstacle Scale (RCOS) designed to measure such obstacles based conceptually on Bandura’s social cognitive theory (1986). We examine the reliability and factor structure of the RCOS using a sample of licensed social workers (N = 197). A 20-item revised version of the RCOS was derived using principal component factor analysis. Results indicate that barriers to discussing family planning, as measured by the RCOS, appear to be best represented by a two-factor solution, reflecting self-efficacy/interest and perceived professional obligation/moral concerns. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.