Predicting Adolescent Sexual and Contraceptive Behavior: An Application and Test of the Fishbein Model

Abstract

This paper presents a test of a multivariate model designed to predict the pregnancy risk-taking behavior of a sample of adolescent females. Pregnancy risk is conceptualized as the frequency with which adolescents engage in sexual intercourse without the use of an effective contraceptive method. This model known generally as the Fishbein model of behavior prediction led to the hypothesis that an adolescent females sexual and contraceptive behavior can be predicted from a linear combination of her attitudes toward performing the behavior and her normative beliefs weighted by her motivation to comply with those norms. Analyses of data drawn from a sample of 244 female adolescents ages 13 to 18 yielded mixed support for the model. Whereas the attitudes and parental norms weighted by motivation to comply are strongly related to both measures of contraceptive use none of the variables are related to the frequency of sexual intercourse. Peer norms are only weakly related to any of the pregnancy-risk behavior measures. The departure of these findings from those of previous tests of the Fishbein model is discussed including methods and subject variance factors. Previous tests of the model have also focused on predicting behavioral intentions as opposed to actual behavior. That certain elements of the Fishbein model were found to be predictive of adolescent pregnancy-risk behavior despite the significant differences in methodology adds weight to the generalizability of the model and its potential usefulness for generating a clearer understanding of adolescent behavior. (authors)