Winfield, Whaley / HEALTH BELIEF MODEL AND CONDOM USE AFRICAN AMERICAN SEXUALITY A Comprehensive Test of the Health Belief Model in the Prediction of Condom Use Among African American College Students

This study tested an expanded version of the Health Belief Model (HBM) in the prediction of condom use during vaginal intercourse among African American college students. Results from regression analyses indicated that only the core HBMexplained a significant amount of variance in condomuse. Perceived barri-ers and gender were the only significant predictors of condom use. Perceived barriers were found to mediate the correlation between gender and condom use. Specifically, controlling for perceived barriers, the tendency for men to use con-doms increased. Consistent with past research findings, high levels of HIV/AIDS risk knowledge was not significantly correlated with condom use. The findings suggest a need to consider additional (e.g., sociocultural) factors associated with African American sexual decisionmaking and condomuse to develop appli-cable conceptual models and HIV/AIDS prevention approaches. African Americans are disproportionately affected by the human immu-nodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). In 2000, they represented 12 % of the U.S. population (U.S. Census AUTHORS’NOTE: This research is based on a doctoral dissertation submitted by the first au-thor in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the doctoral degree in clinical psychology from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. Appreciation is expressed to the faculty, staff, an