HIV-Risk Behaviors in College Students

Paper Summary:

The predicting factors of HIV-risk behavior in college students are assessed through a survey at a Midwestern university. One hundred and thirty-five participants (37 males, and 98 females) assess their HIV-risk behavior through a two-page, self-administered survey during the winter quarter of 2004. This paper shows how the survey assesses five areas: HIV-risk behavior, HIV-risk knowledge, HIV-risk reduction, HIV-risk reduction behavioral skill, and demographic characteristics. Through these five areas, survey administrators are able to assess the relationship between information, motivation and skills, and their risk-reduction behavior, as based on the IMB Model. The paper shows that, through statistical evaluation, it is established that participants who report greater motivation to avoid HIV infection also reported more frequent condom use. Further analysis also shows that women reported greater risk-reduction motivation, as well as better risk-reduction behavioral skills.

From the Paper:

"Further exploration may include the assessment of high-risk behavior through other models, such as the Health Belief Model, developed in the early 1950's. Such a model was developed, similar to the IMB Model, to predict the likelihood of one taking preventative action against health risks (Hollar & Snizek, 1996). Future investigation might also incorporate a treatment within the study. The current study found that a greater motivation to avoid HIV infection resulted in a reported more frequent condom use. Though, perhaps with a treatment containing information on high HIV-risk behavior, the simple act of prevention through condom use, and facts and figures regarding the high AIDS rate within the college population, a follow-up survey assessment would find increased motivation to avoid HIV and a lower rate of risky behaviors within the participants."

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