A social behavioural approach to understanding and promoting condom use

Abstract

It is commonly assumed that if individuals are provided with information about serious health risks to themselves, together with actions which they can take to reduce or eliminate that risk, a sequence of cognitive events will follow which should culminate in the desired behavioural outcomes. Information about health risk may reinforce, increase or challenge existing knowledge. It is assumed that new knowledge shapes beliefs about behavioural outcomes which leads, in turn, to a shift in attitudes, the intention to change behaviour and, ultimately, to behaviour change. The Health Belief Model (HBM, Janz and Becker, 1984) and the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB, Ajzen, 1988) are two examples of models designed to explain and predict health-related behaviours. The HBM seeks to explain health behaviours in terms of perceived vulnerability to, and severity of the disease in question, together with the perceived benefits and barriers of taking action. The TPB predicts behavioural intentions in terms of the individual’s attitude towards the required behaviour, perceived normative influences and perceived behavioural control.