Psychometric Evaluation of Sexual Knowledge and Self-Efficacy Components of the SPARKS Survey for Adults with Spina Bifida.
Betsy Hopson, Ching Man Carmen Tong, Courtney Streur and 4 others
PMID 41810766WHAT IT FOUND
The SPARKS survey reliably measures how confident adults with spina bifida feel discussing sexual health with partners and providers.
However, its knowledge section failed to capture differences because most participants answered basic questions correctly, so it cannot currently identify specific knowledge gaps.
Key findings
01The self-efficacy subscales for communicating with partners and healthcare providers demonstrated excellent internal consistency and construct validity.
02The sexual health knowledge scale showed low internal consistency and restricted variability, preventing valid assessment of knowledge differences.
03Test-retest reliability could not be assessed because too few participants completed the follow-up survey.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The knowledge questions were too basic for this sample, resulting in low variability and an inability to detect differences in sexual health knowledge. Test-retest reliability was not assessed because only eight participants completed the follow-up survey, which was insufficient for analysis. The sample may not represent adults with spina bifida who have lower literacy levels or high caregiver dependence, as these individuals might struggle to complete an online survey independently. The study did not assess the survey's other domains, such as sexual practices, risk behaviors, or abuse history.
Declared interests
The authors received no financial support for the research and declared no potential conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume the survey identifies specific sexual health knowledge gaps. The knowledge section failed psychometrically because most participants answered correctly, meaning a low score likely reflects a misunderstanding of the question or a rare gap, not a general lack of education.
Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →