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Research Article: Cross-cultural adaptation and reliability assessment of the Ecuadorian youth risk behavior survey in Ecuadorian adolescents

Date Published: 2026-09-21

Abstract:
Reliable and culturally adapted instruments are essential for monitoring health-risk behaviors among adolescents and supporting evidence-based public health interventions. The Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) is widely used internationally; however, no culturally adapted version had previously been evaluated for use among Ecuadorian adolescents. To assess the internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the Ecuadorian adaptation of the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (EYRBS). A cross-sectional study with a longitudinal test-retest component was conducted among 356 adolescents aged 12–17 years from public schools in Ecuador. The Spanish version EYRBS was administered online. To evaluate temporal stability, 67 participants completed the questionnaire a second time 15 days after the initial administration. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's alpha coefficient and McDonald omega. Test-retest reliability was evaluated using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) based on a two-way mixed-effects model with absolute agreement. The final version of the EYRBS consisted of 51 items organized into two domains: Social Aspects and Health Aspects. The overall Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.686, while the Social Aspects and Health Aspects domains achieved alpha values of 0.616 and 0.644, respectively. Internal consistency, assessed via McDonald's omega ( ? ), yielded acceptable values, with 0.680 for Social Aspects, 0.661 for Health Aspects, and 0.780 for the overall scale. Test-retest reliability was excellent, with an overall ICC of 0.79 (95% CI: 0.66–0.89), and domain-specific ICCs of 0.85 for Social Aspects and 0.78 for Health Aspects. The EYRBS demonstrated acceptable internal consistency and excellent temporal stability, providing initial evidence of reliability. Structural validity and advanced psychometric evaluations are intentionally deferred to a subsequent, separate investigation.

Introduction:
Reliable and culturally adapted instruments are essential for monitoring health-risk behaviors among adolescents and supporting evidence-based public health interventions. The Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) is widely used internationally; however, no culturally adapted version had previously been evaluated for use among Ecuadorian adolescents.

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