title: Social Cognition Variables and Victimization as Predictors of Sexual Debut Among Adolescents in South Africa and Tanzania: A Multi-group SEM Analysis.
abstract: Early sexual debut is common in South Africa and Tanzania, with potentially negative reproductive health outcomes. The role of violence as a predictor of sexual debut was studied, in a context of predictors borrowed from social cognition models. Data were taken from cluster-randomized trials of school-based HIV prevention interventions in three sites in South Africa and Tanzania. Analyses consisted of descriptive statistics and multi-group structural equation modelling. The basic model functioned fairly well for Cape Town, but less well for Mankweng and Dar es Salaam (low R(2) values). Attitudes were the strongest predictor of intention. Adding socio-demographic variables to the model did not reduce the associations much and neither did subsequent inclusion of violence. Sexual debut was strongly associated with victimization; adding violence also substantially increased R(2) for sexual debut. Besides social cognition factors, intimate partner violence should be addressed in future research on reproductive health interventions for adolescents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Promotion and Development, Faculty of Psychology, University of Bergen, Postboks 7800, 5020, Bergen, Norway. annegreet.wubs@uib.no.
authors.forename: Annegreet Gera
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Wubs
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Promotion and Development, Faculty of Psychology, University of Bergen, Postboks 7800, 5020, Bergen, Norway.|Division of Mental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Leif Edvard
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Aarø
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Sylvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kaaya
authors.affiliation: Health Promotion Unit, School of Health Sciences, University of Limpopo, Polokwane, South Africa.
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Onya
authors.affiliation: Health Systems Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa.|Adolescent Health Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mathews
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D003071:Cognition; D019548:Crime Victims; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012307:Risk Factors; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012919:Social Behavior; D013019:South Africa; D013179:Spouse Abuse; D013636:Tanzania
keywords: Adolescents; HIV prevention; Intimate partner violence; Multi-group SEM analysis; Theory of planned behaviour