The purpose of this study is threefold: (a) to determine the percentage of students attending a university in Nigeria who engage in high-risk sexual behaviors; (b) to use the concepts of the Health Belief Model (HBM) to predict intentions and the adoption of safer sex practices among these students; and (c) to examine the influence of knowledge about AIDS/HIV on the decision to adopt safer sex practices. Using the HBM as the conceptual framework, an instrument was developed to assess knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, preventive intentions, and behaviors about AIDS/HIV. A sample of 395 second year students (M = 221, F = 171) enrolled in a required course at a university in Nigeria, completed the self-administered questionnaire.
Results indicate that a high percentage of students are engaging in high-risk sexual behaviors and are not using condoms. Nearly two-thirds (65%) of the study population have engaged in vaginal intercourse and 43% have had multiple sexual partners; however, 40% have never used condoms. Multiple regression analysis was used to test the HBM variables in predicting safer sex intentions. Results indicate that cues to action, condom benefit beliefs, condom barrier beliefs, and male gender are significant predictors of safer sex intentions, explaining 25% of the variance. Logistic regression analyses were used to test the HBM variables in predicting condom use, abstinence, and number of sex partners. Cues to action, condom benefit beliefs, condom barrier beliefs and male gender significantly predicted condom use, while knowledge and younger age predicted abstinence. Female gender and cues to action are significant predictors of single partner relationships. Knowledge plays a selective role in the prediction of safer sex practices. While increased AIDS/HIV knowledge predicts abstinence, a lower knowledge score predicts condom use. Descriptive analyses also indicate that students have exceedingly poor knowledge regarding AIDS/HIV transmission and prevention. The study findings indicate that AIDS/HIV education and prevention efforts should be intensified in Nigerian universities.
