Developing a scale for measuring the barriers to condom use in Nigeria.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the development of a scale for measuring the barriers to condom use in Nigeria and to evaluate its content, feasibility, reliability, and validity. METHODS: The scale consists of 22 items and is structured on three dimensions: condom sexual satisfaction; condom health hazard; and condom sexual interest. It was evaluated on a sample of 786 students attending the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. FINDINGS: The scale appears to be easy to use, and is acceptable and reliable. CONCLUSION: The scale appears suitable for obtaining estimates of personal experiences of sexual and reproductive condom use. Further, it may be employed for assessing factors that hinder condom use in sexual relationships and is useful for determining the predisposition of individuals to use condoms in future sexual encounters

HIV risk among young Ghanaians in high school: validation of a multidimensional attitude towards condom use scale

Condom use remains low among sexually active youth in sub-Saharan Africa. Theoretical and empirical evidence suggests that attitudes towards condom use are important predictors of actual condom use. However, few attempts have been made to systematically develop a valid scale that measures attitudes towards condom use among youth, particularly high school students in sub-Saharan Africa. Using the health belief model, we developed an instrument that measures such attitudes. We analysed survey data collected from 6252 Ghanaian junior high school students. We assessed construct validity using confirmatory factor analysis. Results indicate that attitudes towards condom use among young Ghanaians are best represented by a multidimensional construct. Young Ghanaians differentiate constructs related to perception of benefits and barriers to condom use, as well as perception of severity and susceptibility to HIV. This instrument offers a valid tool for assessing high school students' attitudes towards condom use and their HIV risk