Incorporating Communication into the Theory of Planned Behavior to Predict Condom Use Among African American Women

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Mengfei Guan, University of Georgia; Valerie B. Coles, University of Georgia; Jennifer A. Samp, University of Georgia; Jessica Sales, Emory University; Ralph Diclemente, Emory University; Jennifer L. Monahan, University of Georgia
• Language: English
• Date: 2016-09-01
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis: SSH Journals
• Publication Version: Author Accepted Manuscript (After Peer Review)
• Copyright Statement: © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10810730.2016.1204383
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Journal of Health Communication
• ISSN: 1081-0730
• Volume: 21
• Issue: 9
• Start Page: 1046
• End Page: 1054
• Keywords: ADOLESCENTS; Communication; HIV/AIDS; SEXUAL-BEHAVIOR; GENDER; RANDOMIZED-CONTROLLED-TRIAL; RISK-REDUCTION INTERVENTION; Science & Technology; Information Science & Library Science; Social Sciences; PARTNER; SELF-EFFICACY; METAANALYSIS; HIV PREVENTION; Technology
• Research Categories: Biology, Virology; Psychology, Behavioral; Health Sciences, Public Health

Abstract

The present research extends the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to investigate how communication-related variables influence condom use intention and behavior among African American women. According to the TPB, attitudes, subjective norms, and self-efficacy are associated with behavioral intent, which predicts behavior. For women, it was argued that condom negotiation self-efficacy was more important than condom use self-efficacy in predicting consistent condom use. Moreover, an important environmental factor that affects condom use for African American women is fear or worry when negotiating condom use because the sex partners might leave, threaten, or abuse them. Fears associated with negotiating condom use were predicted to be negatively associated with attitudes, subjective norms, and self-efficacy. African American women (N = 560; M age = 20.58) completed assessments of TPB variables at baseline and condom use 3 months later. Condom negotiation self-efficacy was a significant indicator of behavioral intent, while condom use self-efficacy was not. Fear of condom negotiation was negatively associated with all TPB components, which was in turn significantly associated with behavioral intent and condom use. Implications for the TPB, safer sex literature, and sexually transmitted infection prevention intervention design are discussed.