Determinants of Actual Condom Use Among Adolescents in Thailand

This study examined the relationships among attitudes toward condom use, personal characteristics, condom use self-efficacy, and actual condom use among Thai adolescents. Predictors of condom use were also investigated. Bandura's self-efficacy model for safer sexual behavior provided the theoretical framework for this descriptive correlational design. The sample consisted of 270 Thai vocational students aged 18 to 21 years. Multiple regressions were used to estimate the correlates between the independent study variables and condom use among Thai adolescents. Additionally, two open-ended questions regarding attitudes toward premarital sex among males and females in Thai culture were asked. The results showed that self-reported history of alcohol/drug use, attitudes toward condom use, and condom use self-efficacy were related to actual condom use. Results that emerged from the open-ended questions suggested sexual double standards among Thais. This study contributes to strengthening Thai health policy and expanding nursing knowledge about condom use and prevention of sexually transmitted diseases.

Key words: condom use, premarital sexual risk behavior, self-efficacy, Thai adolescents