Beliefs, Attitudes, Intentions and Contraceptive Behavior of College Students.

Abstract

Social-psychological influences of contraceptive use are explained in this study by the attitude-behavior relationship, based on the theory of reasoned action (Ajzen and Fishbein, 1980). This theory was extended to include background characteristics (sex, race, class level, parents' income, religiosity, and religious preference), psychological variables (perceived well-being and health locus of control), and situational factors. This was accomplished by two questionnaires. The first questionnaire, measured college students' (N = 308) beliefs, attitudes, subjective norms, and intentions. The second questionnaire administered three-months later, measured self-reported sexual activity, the use of contraceptives, and situational factors. Multiple Classification Analysis was used to examine the relative contribution of the predictors in relation to the dependent variables, sexual activity and contraceptive use. Multiple regression (OLS) was used to predict intentions, attitudes, and subjective norms. A variety of sexual activities was more often reported among sophomores, males, liberal religious groups, the less religious, and those wth higher-income parents. Religiosity was the most significant background variable in predicting sexual activity. Religion was associated with the psychological variables and sexual guilt. Having a steady friend accounted for most of the explained variance in sexual activity. External variables contributed very little to explain intentions, contraceptive use, and sexual activity. Life satisfaction and gender significantly explained attitudes and subjective norms. Beliefs about using contraception were more favorable for users than non-users. Attitudes (A(,act)) were a stronger determinant of intentions than subjective norms. The correlation between intentions and contraceptive use was weak. Differences in the intention and behavior relationship could be explained by situational factors. Sexual activity and situational factors explained most of the variance in contraceptive use.