The association between social networks and self-rated risk of HIV infection among secondary school students in Moshi Municipality, Tanzania

Figures & data

Fig. 1. SEM.

Source: Adapted and modified from Bronfenbrenner (1994).

Table 1. The distribution of socio-demographic characteristics and number of groups' involvement by gender (n = 300).

		Sex n (%)
Groups involved	N = 300	Male 154 (51.3)	Female 146 (48.7)	p-Trend
Age (years)
<18	219 (73.0)	93 (60.4)	126 (86.3)
18	81 (27.0)	61 (39.6)	20 (13.7)	<.001*
Family structure
233 (77.7)	233 (77.7)	37 (24.0)	30 (20.5)
67 (22.3)	67 (22.3)	117 (76.0)	116 (79.5)	.47
Parental status
254 (84.7)	254 (84.7)	124 (80.5)	130 (89.0)
46 (15.3)	46 (15.3)	30 (19.5)	16 (11.0)	.05
Number of total group involvement
None	68 (22.7)	42 (27.3)	26 (17.8)
One	51 (17.0)	25 (17.2)	26 (17.8)
Two or more	181 (60.3)	87 (56.5)	94 (64.4)	.146
Number of bonding group involvement
None	85 (28.3)	50 (32.4)	35 (24.0)
One	55 (18.3)	28 (18.2)	27 (18.5)
Two or more	160 (53.3)	76 (49.4)	84 (57.5)	0.24
Number of bridging group involvement
None	214 (71.3)	115 (74.7)	99 (67.8)
One	30 (10.0)	20 (13.0)	10 (6.8)
Two or more	56 (18.7)	19 (12.3)	37 (25.4)	.006*
Sexual experienced
Yes	88 (29.3)	60 (39.0)	28 (19.2)
No	212 (70.7)	94 (61.0)	118 (80.8)	.000*
Self-rated risk of HIV infection
High	68 (22.7)	40 (26.0)	28 (19.2)
Low	232 (77.3)	114 (74.0)	118 (80.8)	.161

Table 2. Socio-demographic, family characteristics and sexual behavior by social network groups (n = 300).

	Social network
	None	Bonding only	Bridging only	Bonding and bridging	p-Value
Total	68	146	17	69
Sex
Male	42 (61.8)	73 (50.0)	8 (47.1)	31 (44.9)
Female	26 (38.2)	73 (50.0)	9 (52.9)	38 (55.1)	.23
Age
<18	49 (72.1)	106 (72.6)	12 (70.6)	52 (75.4)
18	19 (27.9)	40 (27.4)	5 (29.6)	17 (24.6)	.96
Sexual experience
Yes	29 (42.6)	41 (28.1)	4 (23.5)	14 (20.3)
No	39 (57.4)	105 (71.9)	13 (76.5)	55 (79.7)	.03
Sexual intercourse in past three months
Yes	8 (11.8)	10 (6.8)	2 (11.8)	5 (7.2)
No	21 (30.9)	31 (21.2)	2 (11.8)	8 (11.6)
No sex	39 (57.4)	105 (71.9)	13 (76.5)	55 (79.7)	.08
Number of partners
One	16 (23.5)	21 (14.4)	0 (0)	5 (7.2)
More than one	13 (19.1)	18 (12.3)	4 (23.5)	7 (10.1)
No sex	39 (57.4)	105 (71.9)	13 (76.5)	55 (79.7)	.07
Used condom at first sex intercourse
Yes	12 (17.6)	15 (10.3)	3 (17.6)	4 (5.8)
No	18 (26.5)	26 (17.8)	1 (5.9)	9 (13.0)
No sex	39 (57.4)	105 (71.9)	13 (76.5)	55 (79.7)	.69
Used condom at last sexual intercourse
Yes	15 (22.1)	18 (12.3)	3 (17.6)	6 (8.7)
No	14 (20.6)	23 (15.8)	1 (5.9)	7 (10.1)
No sex	39 (57.4)	105 (71.9)	13 (76.5)	55 (79.7)	.08
Self-reported risk of HIV
Low	52 (76.5)	115 (78.8)	11 (64.7)	54 (78.3)	.619
High	16 (23.5)	31 (21.2)	6 (35.3)	15 (22.7)

Table 3. Selected risk behaviors of sexually experienced participants associated with self-rated risk of HIV infection (n = 88).

		Self-rating n (%)
Risk behavior	Total 88 (%)	High 26 (29.5%)	Low 62 (70.5%)	p-Value
Age of first sexual intercourse				.826
<15	19	6 (31.6)	13 (68.4)
15+	69	20 (29.0)	49 (71.0)
Had sexual intercourse in the past three months				.051*
Yes	25	12 (48.0)	13 (52.0)
No	63	14 (22.2)	49 (77.8)
Number of lifetime sexual partners				.032*
One	46	9 (19.6)	37 (80.4)
More than one	42	17 (40.5)	25 (59.5)
Have other/extra sexual partner				.173
Yes	11	7 (63.6)	4 (36.4)
No	77	19 (24.7)	58 (75.3)
Used condom during first sexual intercourse				.692
Yes	34	9 (26.5)	25 (73.5)
No	54	17 (31.5)	37 (68.5)
Used condom in the last sexual intercourse				.201
Yes	42	9 (21.4)	33 (78.6)
No	46	17 (37.0)	29 (63.0)

*p < .05.

Table 4. Predictors of self-rated risk of HIV infection by sex of study participants (n = 300).

	Male			Female
Characteristics	OR^a	95% CI	p-Value	OR^a	95% CI	p-Value
School
Government	Reference
Private	0.83	0.59–1.18	0.298	1.48	1.14–1.91	.003*
Family structure
Living with both parents	Reference
Living without parents	0.73	0.30–1.77	0.49	3.37	1.37–8.32	.008*
Social networks
None	Reference
Bonding only	0.86	0.36–2.05	0.73	1	0.32–3.10	.99
Bridging only	2.82	0.60–13.2	0.19	1.2	0.19–7.62	.84
Bridging and bonding	0.98	0.34–2.82	0.97	0.95	0.27–3.39	.93
Had sexual experience
No	Reference
Yes	0.92	0.44–1.93	0.83	3.84	1.53–9.61	.004
Had sex past 3 months
NA	Reference
No	0.62	0.26–1.52	0.3	2.97	0.98–8.98	.054
Yes	2.45	0.81–7.45	0.11	5.94	1.55–22.7	.009
Have extra sexual partner
NA	Reference
No	0.77	0.34–1.73	0.53	2.61	0.98–6.96	.054
Yes	2.8	0.65–12.04	0.17	N/A
Used condom last sex
NA	Reference
No	1.2	0.49–2.97	0.69	6.79	2.18–21.2	.001
Yes	0.73	0.27–2.00	0.54	1.78	0.44–7.15	.42

^aUnadjusted odds ratio.

*p < .001.

**p < .05.

Bronfenbrenner, U. (1994). Ecological Models of Human Development. In: M. Gauvain & M. Cole (Eds.), International Encyclopedia of Education 1994, 3, 2nd ed. Oxford, Elsevier. Reprinted in: Readings on the Development of Children, 2nd ed., 37–43. New York: Freeman.

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