(PS10-3) An Exploratory Factor Analysis of the Sexual Risk Survey in a Sample of Trauma-exposed Undergraduate Students Assigned Female at Birth

Abstract Text: Rates of lifetime exposure to traumatic events among college students is high, as are rates of risky sex practices, and previous research has found significant associations between the two. Such risky behaviors may present differently among women, those with queer identities, and individuals with various psychopathologies. The Sexual Risk Survey (SRS) was developed with a sample of undergraduate students, and it measures sexual risk across five factors: Sexual Risk taking with Uncommitted Partners, Risky Sex Acts, Impulsive Sexual Behaviors, Intent to Engage in Risky Sexual Behaviors, and Risky Anal Sex Acts. To better understand the risky sexual behaviors of trauma-exposed womxn (individuals assigned female birth, including those who identify as cisgender women and those with diverse gender identities), we conducted an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) on the SRS in a sample of 227 trauma-exposed undergraduate womxn. Participants were predominantly White (n = 118, 52%) and cisgender (n = 223, 98.2%), with an average age of 20.8 years (SD = 5.2). Regarding sexual orientation, 80.6% of the sample identified as heterosexual (n = 183), 17.4% identified as bisexual (n = 40), and 1.8% identified as gay (n = 4). Using the Traumatic Life Events Questionnaire, participants reported experiencing a mean of 4.2 lifetime traumatic events (SD = 4.14). Scores on the SRS can range from 0 to 92, with higher scores indicating greater risk taking. In the current sample, SRS scores were relatively low (M = 11.4, SD = 14.65). Results of the EFA supported a four-factor model of the SRS (χ2 = 218.19, df = 167, p < .01, RMSEA = .0.04 [90% CI = 0.02, 0.05], CFI = 0.99, SRMR = 0.05). Further, chi-square analyses suggested that the four-factor model has a significantly better fit than the three-factor model (χ2 = 43.90, df = 20, p < .01). The four-factor model did not include a factor reflecting impulsive sexual behaviors, with three of those items loading on the factor reflecting intentions for risky sex and two items loading on the factor reflecting sexual risk taking with uncommitted partners. Both Risky Sex Acts and Risky Anal Sex Acts subscales were retained in their original form. Pattern coefficients suggest that the following factor structure retains the superior fit: Intent to Engage in Risky Sexual Behaviors, Sexual Risk Taking with Uncommitted Partners, Risky Sex Acts, and Risky Anal Sex Acts. Cronbach’s alpha for the full measure was 0.92 and for the modified SRS subscales, were as follows: Intent to Engage in Risky Sexual Behaviors (α = .80), Sexual Risk Taking with Uncommitted Partners (α = .92), Risky Sex Acts (α = .83), and Risky Anal Sex Acts (α = .67). A parsimonious four-factor model of the SRS was found to adequately measure risky sexual behaviors among trauma-exposed undergraduate womxn. Results suggest that risky sexual behaviors may present differently for trauma-exposed undergraduate womxn and a four-factor model of the SRS warrants further exploration in this population. More detailed results, clinical implications, and directions for future research will be discussed in the full poster presentation.