Abstract: The Role of Sex and Age in Predicting American Indian Adolescent Condom Use Intention Using the Protection Motivation Theory (Society for Prevention Research 24th Annual Meeting)

Schedule:

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Pacific D/L (Hyatt Regency San Francisco)

* noted as presenting author

Rachel Chambers, MPH, Research Associate, The Johns Hopkins University, United States, MD

Lauren Tingey, MPH, MSW, Research Associate, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD

Summer Rosenstock, PhD, Assistant Scientist, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD

Angelita Lee, BA, Senior Research Program Coordinator, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD

Anne Rompalo, MD, Professor, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD

Allison Barlow, PhD, Assistant Scientist, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD

Background: Past research documents sex and age differences among adolescents regarding condom use intention. However little research has been conducted exploring age and sex differences in condom use intention through the lens of sexual behavior change theory among American Indian adolescents, an under-studied and disproportionately burdened population. We utilized Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) to examine predictors of condom use intention across sex and age groups in an effort to inform age and sex-specific tailoring of an evidence-based HIV prevention intervention.

Methods: The Youth Health Risk Behavioral Inventory was administered to a sample of 267 American Indian, reservation-based adolescents ages 13-19, as a part of a randomized controlled trial of an adapted evidence-based HIV prevention intervention. Exploring baseline data, multivariate analyses were conducted to understand how PMT constructs predict condom use intention among boys and girls as well as younger (13-15) and older (16-19) adolescents.

Results: Results indicate significant differences in theoretical predictors of condom use intention across groups. Among boys, significant PMT constructs predictive of condom use intention were response efficacy, extrinsic rewards and severity. Only intrinsic rewards and response cost were more likely to predict condom use intention among girls compared to boys. Across age groups, self-efficacy, response efficacy, extrinsic rewards and severity predicted condom use intention among younger adolescents while only response efficacy predicted condom use intention among older participants.

Conclusions: Similar to other studies, there were significant differences in predictors of condom use intention across age and sex. Prevention interventions should target theoretical constructs predictive of condom use intention and be tailored to specific sex and age differences among AI adolescents. Among AI girls, intervention efforts should focus on identifying healthy activities that are internally rewarding. For boys, interventions should focus on the peer acceptance of condom use and emphasize the efficacy of condoms. Regarding different age groups, among young AI adolescents interventions focused on self-efficacy and severity would be more effective than they would be among older AI teens. Although most current prevention interventions include adolescents spanning wide age ranges and both sexes, our results indicate sex and age-specific interventions may be a more effective prevention approach.

Abstract: The Role of Sex and Age in Predicting American Indian Adolescent Condom Use Intention Using the Protection Motivation Theory (Society for Prevention Research 24th Annual Meeting)

289 The Role of Sex and Age in Predicting American Indian Adolescent Condom Use Intention Using the Protection Motivation Theory