Understanding use of condoms among Canadian ethnocultural communities: methods and main findings of the survey
Godin, G.; Maticka-Tyndale, E.; Adrien, A.; Singer, S.M.; Willms, D.; Cappon, P.; Bradet, R.; Daus, T.; LeMay, G.
Canadian Journal of Public Health 87(Suppl 1): S33
1996
ISSN/ISBN: 0008-4263 PMID: 8705921 Document Number: 458898
During April-May 1994, in Canada, 346 members of the Latin American community aged 18-49, 358 members of the English-speaking Caribbean community aged 16-49, and 355 members of the South Asian community aged 18-45 completed a questionnaire developed by the Research Group on Psychosocial Aspects of Health Behavior at Laval University in Quebec. This study aimed to identify the variables influencing intention to use a condom for each instance of sexual intercourse with a new partner in three nondominant ethnocultural communities. 81% of Latin Americans, 75% of the Caribbeans, and 71% of the South Asians intended to use a condom for each instance of sexual intercourse with a new partner during the next 3 months. Yet, among people who had had sex with a new partner in the last year, only 30% of Latin Americans, 28% of the Caribbeans, and 47% of South Asians always used a condom. Significant predictors of intent to use a condom in each instance of sexual intercourse with a new partner were personal normative belief (a measure of the personal feelings of moral obligation or responsibility to use or refuse to use a condom), perceived behavioral control, and role beliefs (p .0001). For the Latin American community, these three constructs explained 70.7% of the variance (partial R2 = 51.1% for personal normative belief, 10% for role beliefs, and 4.1% for perceived behavioral control). For the English-speaking Caribbean community, they explained 51% of the variance (partial R2 = 35.7% for personal normative belief, 11.9% for perceived behavioral control, and 3.5% for role beliefs). For the South Asian community, they accounted for 76% of the variance (partial R2 = 63.5% for perceived behavioral control, 9.4% for personal normative belief, and 3.1% for role beliefs). These findings serve as a basis for recommendations for the prevention of HIV transmission among the participating ethnocultural communities.