Validation of the Drug Self-Protection Behavior Scale for Southern Thai Adolescents: A cognitive and culturally responsive approach

Drug abuse among Thai adolescents remains a critical public health issue, necessitating robust and validated measures of protective behaviors for effective prevention. This study examined the construct validity of a second-order confirmatory factor model for adolescent drug self-protection behaviors. The participants were 370 adolescents aged 15 to 18 years in Southern Thailand. The research instrument was a questionnaire assessing self-protection behaviors based on Social Cognitive Theory. Data were analyzed using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) with Robust Maximum Likelihood estimation. The results demonstrated that the second-order factor structure was consistent with both the conceptual framework and the empirical data. The final model comprised three components with a total of 13 indicators. Notably, Awareness of Consequences (ACD) exhibited the highest factor loading, exceeding those of Drug Refusal Skills (SRD) and Free Time Utilization (ICA). This finding suggests that in a collectivist context, cognitive immunization, specifically the fear of compromising future prospects, acts as a primary protective mechanism, potentially outweighing traditional skill-based approaches. This study validated a multi-dimensional scale grounded in Social Cognitive Theory within a Southeast Asian context. The validated scale can be used by educators and health professionals to effectively assess and strengthen protective behaviors among adolescents.