Barriers against safer sex as predictors of condom negotiation self-efficacy among Mozambican Women

Abstract

Abstract Background Negotiation self-efficacy is one of the main predictors of effective condom use. Therefore, it is essential to identify the factors that influence condom use negotiation self-efficacy in vulnerable women. The aim of this paper is to examine whether socio-demographic and marital factors, and perceived barriers against safer sex are associated with condom use negotiation self-efficacy among Mozambican women at sexual risk. Methods 173 women, patients at a Mozambican public Hospital and at risk for HIV infection, completed measures of sociodemographic and marital characteristics, perceived barriers against safer sex, and condom use negotiation self-efficacy. Measures included the Mozambican version of the “Women's Health Study Questionnaire”, which presented good psychometric properties in this sample. Results Demographic variables (age and education) explained 20% of the variance (ΔF(2, 170)=20.92, p<.001) in condom use negotiation self-efficacy, and the marital variables, “marital status” and “talking about AIDS with partner”, explained 30% of the variance in the outcome (ΔF(2, 168)=50.06, p<.001). Barriers against safer sex explained 6.5% of unique variance in condom use negotiation self-efficacy (ΔF(1, 167)= 24.68, p<.001). The overall model explained 55% of the variance in condom use negotiation self-efficacy. Conclusions These results support an exploratory predictive model of condom use negotiation self-efficacy that can inform interventions directed at behavioral change among Mozambican women at sexual risk. Key messages Women who were younger, had a higher level of education, were single, and talked about AIDS, had higher levels of condom use negotiation self-efficacy. Women who had lower levels of perceived barriers, had higher levels of condom use negotiation self-efficacy.