title: Adolescent religiosity and attitudes to HIV and AIDS in Ghana.
abstract: This study investigated the relationships between adolescent religiosity and attitudes to HIV/AIDS based on two major techniques of analysis, factor and regression analysis towards informing preventive school education strategies. Using cross-sectional data of 448 adolescents in junior high school, the study incorporated survey in a self-administered questionnaire and sought to identify underlying factors that affect pupils' responses, delineate the pattern of relationships between variables and select models which best explain and predict relationships among variables. A seven-factor solution described the 'attitude' construct including abstinence and protection, and six for 'religiosity'. The results showed relatively high levels of religiosity and a preference for private religiosity as opposed to organisational religiosity. The regression analysis produced significant relationships between factors of attitudes to HIV/AIDS and of religiosity. Adolescent with very high private religiosity are more likely to abstain from sex but less likely to use condoms once they initiate: protection is inversely related to religiosity. The findings suggest that religious-based adolescent interventions should focus on intrinsic religiosity. Additionally, increasing HIV prevention information and incorporating culturally relevant and socially acceptable values might lend support to improved adolescent school-based HIV/AIDS prevention programmes.
authors.affiliation: National Health Learning Materials Centre, Department of Health Education, Ministry of Health, Kumasi, Ghana. kamook22@gmail.com
authors.forename: Kofi Nyame
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Amoako-Agyeman
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D017280:Condoms / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D005869:Ghana / Q000453:epidemiology; D006266:Health Education; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012067:Religion; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012572:School Health Services; D012746:Sexual Abstinence / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires