Condom self-efficacy, HIV knowledge and understanding, perceived peer sexual behavior, and condom use among sexually active adolescents
Abstract
The current study investigates condom self-efficacy, knowledge, perceived peer behavior, and condom use among sexually active high school students. Eighty (N=80) students, ages 15 through 18, from a suburban school district outside the greater metropolitan area of New York City with a condom availability program, participated in the study. Criteria for participation in the study were self-reports of prior sexual intercourse and inclusion in the New York State-mandated HIV/AIDS health education class. Participants completed a self-report survey to measure variables of condom self-efficacy, HIV/AIDS knowledge, and perceived peer condom use. Surveys were used to discriminate between consistent and inconsistent condom users. Results suggested that students who attended the high school had significantly higher rates of condom use than students in either the normative national or local samples. Results indicated that while there were no significant differences among the students on levels of condom self-efficacy or HIV/AIDS knowledge, consistent condom users perceived significantly higher levels of condom use among their peers (67%) than the inconsistent condom users (53%). In addition, results of a logistic regression found that perception of peer condom use was a significant predictor of consistent condom use. This suggests social norms likely play a major role in condom use for the sexually active adolescents in this study. However, no conclusions could be drawn about the specific effects of the condom availability program due to demographic differences between the study sample and normative samples. Future research should focus on the roles of demographics and social norms in condom use for sexually active adolescents in suburban districts.
Subject Area
Behavioral psychology|Educational psychology|Public health
Recommended Citation
Ellis-Hernandez, Katherine Dorothy, "Condom self-efficacy, HIV knowledge and understanding, perceived peer sexual behavior, and condom use among sexually active adolescents" (2009). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI3361352.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI3361352
