PSYCHOSOCIAL PREDICTORS OF INTENDED CONDOM USE AMONG ZIMBABWEAN ADOLESCENTS

In a test of the predictive capacity of the Health Belief Model, the association of perceived susceptibility to HIV, severity of HIV infection, efficacy of HIV-preventive solutions, facilitating cues and barriers to action with intended condom use was examined among 343 male and 220 female Zimbabwean adolescents. Of these, 57% of males and 17% of females were reportedly sexually experienced, amongst whom 34% of males and 41% of females reported consistent conom use. Predictors of intended condom use were examined separately for each sex, using bivariate odds-ratio analysis of individual health beliefs, simultaneous logistic regression on individual beliefs with significant bivariate associations with intended condom use and simultaneous logistic regression on Health Belief Model subscales comprised of aggregated individual beliefs belonging to each element of the model. These analyses indicated that, whereas facilitating cues and barriers to action were the principal determinants of intended condom use among males, perceived social support for condom use was the major determinant of intended condom use among females. These results suggest that while HIV-prevention approaches for each sex have much in common, somewhat different emphasis for males and females may be appropriate.