The role of gender and sexual experience in predicting adolescent condom use intentions using the theory of planned behaviour

Abstract

Objectives To examine how the prediction of condom-related cognitions, intentions, and behaviour amongst adolescents may differ according to gender and sexual experience within a theory of planned behaviour (TPB) framework.

Methods Adolescents (N = 306) completed questionnaires about sexual experience, condom use, TPB variables, perceived risk, and safe sex knowledge.

Results Significant differences in TPB variables, perceived risk, and knowledge were found; males and sexually experienced participants were generally less positive about condom use. Twenty percent of the variance in attitudes was accounted for by four variables; specifically, female gender, no previous sexual experience, better safe sex knowledge, and greater risk perceptions were associated with more positive attitudes. The prediction of intentions separately amongst sexually experienced (R² = 0.468) and inexperienced (R² = 0.436) participants revealed that, for the former group, attitudes and subjective norms were the most important considerations. In contrast, among the inexperienced participants, attitudes and the gender-by-perceived risk interaction term represented significant influences.

Conclusions The results suggest that interventions designed to improve adolescents’ intentions to use condoms and rates of actual condom use should consider differences in gender and sexual experience.

Chinese Abstract

摘 要目的 调查如何通过计划行为理论（theory of planned behaviour, TPB）预测青少年对避孕套相关的认知、意识和行为可能随着性别、性经验的变化而变化。

方法 306名青少年完成了有关性经验、避孕套使用、TPB变量、风险感知能力和安全性行为知识的调查问卷。

结果 在TPB变量、感知风险能力和安全性行为知识方面差异具有统计学意义。男性和性经验丰富者一般不重视避孕套的使用。四个变量的态度变异范围超过20%；尤其是，女性、既往无性经历者、具有更好的安全性行为知识和更高的风险感知能力者通常有积极的态度。意识在性经验丰富者（R²=0.468）和性经验缺乏者（R²=0.436）中的预测价值提示，对于前者而言，态度、主观准则是最重要的考虑因素。相反，性经验缺乏者，态度和性别-风险感知能力相互作用具有显著影响。

结论 结果表明，旨在提高青少年安全套使用意识和避孕套实际使用率的干预措施需要把青少年的性别和性经验考虑在内。

Keywords:

• Theory of planned behaviour
• Condom use
• Adolescents
• Gender
• Sexual experience
• Perceived risk

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We thank all the schools and students for having participated in the study. Also, thank you to Rosie McEachan and Anna Davies for their advice, and to Arshia Houshansi, Andrea Conceicao, Anna Lucas and the school nurse team at NHS Westminster for their help conducting the study.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and the writing of the paper.