Applicability of the theory of planned behavior to intended and self-reported condom use in a rural Ethiopian population

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the applicability of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) in predicting intended and self-reported condom use and to examine the effect of previous condom use (PCE) among young adults in rural Ethiopia. A TPB interview was completed by 802 adults (mean age 20.7 years, 74.7% women) and 743 adults (mean age 20.7 years, 76.4% women) reported use of condom at three-months follow-up. The TPB and PCE explained 36% and 2.2% of the variance in intended condom use. Subjective norms discriminated strongly between individuals with and without PCE. The TPB and PCE accounted for 5.3% and 8.5% of the variance in reported condom use. This study concludes that the TPB provided a fairly accurate description of the process underlying intention but was less sufficient to account for self-reported condom use. Ethiopian youth decided on condom use if they anticipated predominantly positive consequences associated with performance and social support, whereas perceived barriers seemed to have less impact. Once they had started to use condoms, they were more likely to continue to do so in the future.