Factor Structure of the Klein Sexual Orientation Grid Among Latina/o/x Adolescents

Abstract Measuring sexual orientation involves assessing multiple domains to account for the various conceptualizations adolescents may have. The purpose of this study was to examine: (1) the factor structure and reliability of the Klein Sexual Orientation Grid (KSOG) and (2) measurement invariance across age and nativity groups. Participants included 454 Latina/o/x adolescents [25.3% Latina/o/x sexual minority youth (LSMY) and 74.7% Latina/o/x non-SMY]. We examined the hypothesized factor structure of the KSOG using confirmatory factor analysis and the configural, metric, and scalar invariance of the identified factor structure was examined between age (12–14 and 15–17) and nativity (U.S. born and foreign-born) groups. A single factor captured: identity, attraction, emotional connection, and fantasies (CFI/RMSEA = 1.00/.000). We found evidence for metric noninvariance suggesting that sexual orientation as a latent construct does not perform equivalently among Hispanic adolescents who are younger versus older (Δχ2(3) = 106.01, p < 0.001, ΔCFI = 0.041, ΔTLI = 0.064, and ΔRMSEA = 0.154) or adolescents who are U.S. born versus foreign-born (Δχ2(3) = 10.34, p < 0.05, ΔCFI = 0.003, ΔTLI = 0.002, and ΔRMSEA = 0.011). The KSOG may not be used equivalently among older and younger Latina/o/x adolescents and Latina/o/x adolescents who are U.S. born and foreign-born.