title: Condom promotion in Belize: self-efficacy of Belizean nurses.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Outside of abstinence, correct and consistent condom use is the single most effective tool to prevent the transmission human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This is particularly true in countries such as Belize where incidence rates remain high. Women are physiologically at higher risk for HIV, and many feel powerless to insist on condom use. Although nurses are in a position to promote condom use, variables that influence this decision are not clearly understood. In this study, we examined variables that influence a nurses' self-efficacy to promote and teach condom use to women specifically to reduce their HIV risk.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data related to self-efficacy, vicarious experience related to condom use promotion and a nurse's sexual relationship power were collected from nurses practising in Belize (n = 60). These data were cross-sectional and collected at the annual nurses' conference.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both years of nursing education and positive vicarious experience promoting and teaching condom use to women were positively correlated to their self-efficacy to do so. Vicarious experience was significantly correlated to self-efficacy in a subgroup of nurses with lower sexual relationship power but not in those with higher sexual relationship power.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  When designing HIV continuing education programmes for nurses in Belize, it is important to consider level of nursing education and access to vicarious experience such as mentoring and role modelling. An additional factor to consider is the influence that a nurse's power in her own primary sexual relationship may play in the formation of her self-efficacy.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, USA. wanash01@louisville.edu
authors.forename: W A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Nash
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001531:Belize; D019111:Single-Use Internal Condom / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000451:nursing / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009726:Nurses / Q000523:psychology*; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012736:Sex Education; D055815:Young Adult