title: Psychosocial determinants of intention to use condoms among Somali and Ethiopian immigrants in the U.S.
abstract: The study examined potential psychosocial determinants of male condom use in steady heterosexual relationships among Somali and Ethiopian immigrants in Minnesota in two sequential phases: the elicitation (Phase I) and cross-sectional quantitative studies (Phase II). Information from Phase I was used to develop the instrument for Phase II. Study participants who self-identified as Somali and Ethiopian immigrants (n = 205) responded to questions on demographic characteristics, attitudes (affective and instrumental), norms (subject and descriptive), perceived behavioral control, self-efficacy, and intention to use male condoms. Hierarchical regression models were used to assess the relationship between the main independent variables (attitude norms, perceived behavioral control, and self-efficacy, and the dependent variable, the intention to use male condoms. Overall, participants showed low intention and slightly favorable (affective and instrumental) attitudes toward condom use; had experienced weak, but positive social influence as measured by injunctive and descriptive norms. Moreover, study participants had shown slight perceived behavioral control, but had fairly moderate positive self-efficacy. The Theory of Planned Behavior was moderately effective in predicting condom use; however, the Integrated Behavioral Model, explained nearly 40% of the variations in the intention to use male condoms. Among men, self-efficacy had the strongest influence (β = .44, p < .001) on behavioral intention. Among women, descriptive norms (β = .22, p < .05) exerted the strongest effect (model 3). Improving self-efficacy, specifically, among older men, and fostering desirable normative influence among women, are suggested as main components of public health interventions to promote condom use among Somali and Ethiopian immigrants.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Public Health , Keimyung University , Daegu , South Korea.
authors.forename: Nasser B
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Ebrahim
authors.affiliation: b Department of Surgery , Paul L Foster School of Medicine, Texas Tech Health Center , El Paso , TX , USA.
authors.forename: Sharon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.affiliation: c Department of Public Health Sciences , College of Health and Social Services, New Mexico State University , Las Cruces , NM , USA.
authors.forename: Joe
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tomaka
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001290:Attitude; D017280:Condoms / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000523:psychology*; D005002:Ethiopia / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D008297:Male; D008910:Minnesota; D021841:Safe Sex / Q000523:psychology*; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012737:Sex Factors; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D012998:Somalia / Q000208:ethnology; D014481:United States
keywords: Condom use; Ethiopian; HIV; Somali; immigrants; psychosocial determinants