Reconceptualizing adolescent sexual risk in a parent-based expansion of the Theory of Planned Behavior.
OBJECTIVE
To expand the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to explicate the influence of parents on adolescent behaviors and describe its application to adolescent sexual risk behaviors.


METHODS
Parents have repeatedly been shown to be among the most significant influences on adolescents' sexual risk-related attitudes, intentions, and behaviors. However, many of the leading theoretical frameworks for understanding HIV-related sexual risk behavior are individual-level models that do not include important influences outside the individual, such as parents and families.


CONCLUSIONS
The proposed expansion of the TPB indicates the conceptual underpinnings for the design of family-based prevention programs to reduce HIV-related risk behaviors among adolescents. Additional research is needed to examine the predictive validity of the expanded model, and instrument development is needed for many of the expanded model constructs, most notably the parent constructs.
Hutchinson
M Katherine
MK
Center for Health Disparities Research, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6096, USA. khutchin@nursing.upenn.edu
Wood
Elyssa B
EB
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003142:Communication; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006803:Human Development; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D011582:Psychological Theory; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012736:Sex Education; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology*