Attitudes about condom use as an AIDS-relevant behavior: Their factor structure and relation to condom use.

Abstract

Two studies investigated the domain of attitudes about condom use as an acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)-relevant behavior and their relation to self-reported condom use, past and intended. In so doing, the Condom Attitude Scale (CAS) was developed. Subjects for both studies (n = 248, n = 528) were undergraduates, primarily heterosexual. Factor analysis of the initial item pool indicated 8 attitude factors (subscales). The total CAS, its subscales, and measures of condom use had high internal consistency. The total CAS and the majority of subscales explained a substantial amount of variance in condom use and in carrying and keeping condoms at home. Gender was unrelated to past and intended condom use. However, despite having generally more positive attitudes about condoms, women were more inhibited about buying and keeping condoms and were less likely to do so. Test–retest and cross-validation analyses revealed, for the most part, consistent findings.