Determinants of condom use intentions among university students in Ghana

Abstract

This descriptive correlational study was conducted to gain an understanding of how attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, self-efficacy, moral norms, role beliefs, perceived risk, and past condom use influenced condom use intentions among a group of 580 undergraduate students in Ghana. An extended version of the theory of planned behaviour guided the study. The results showed that students had moderate intentions to use condoms in their sexual encounters. Only 46% of all sexually active participants used condoms in their last sexual encounter. The extended version of the theory of planned behaviour explained 56% of the variance in the intention to use a condom during every sexual encounter among participants. In order of decreasing importance, perceived behavioural control, moral norms, attitudes, and past behaviour emerged as significant independent predictors of condom use intention. Implications for health promotion, theory, and research includes addressing the psychosocial factors associated with condom use.