Using the Health Belief Model to Examine the Link between HPV Knowledge and Self-Efficacy for Preventive Behaviors of Male Students at a Two-Year College in New York City

Abstract

The human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most common and easily transmitted sexually transmitted infections in the United States; infected individuals are frequently unaware that they are carriers, and transmission occurs unknowingly. Infection can lead to genital warts or cervical, penile, anal, or oral cancer. The object of this study was to examine the link between HPV knowledge and self-efficacy for preventive behaviors among college students as well as HPV vaccine acceptability. A cross-sectional survey of students at a two-year college in New York City was conducted electronically. The current study focuses on male students (N = 120). We found that HPV knowledge was low among this sample, but that self-efficacy and vaccine acceptability were high. Self-efficacy and perceived susceptibility to HPV predicted vaccine acceptability, but not condom use. The challenge for health care practitioners and health educators is to provide focused, comprehensive education about HPV without causing undue fear.

Factors Protecting Male and Female Adolescents in Mexico From Human Papillomavirus Infection

“…HPV knowledge, however, does not appear to translate into HPV protective behavior among these adolescents. This finding is similar to other studies assessing HPV knowledge as a predictor of condom use (Grace-Leitch & Shneyderman, 2016;Tu et al, 2015). High condom use self-efficacy was associated with HPV protective behavior in our study; however, self-efficacy was not a significant predictor in the regression model.…”

Association between Psychological Factors and Condom Use with Regular and Nonregular Male Sexual Partners among Chinese MSM: A Quantitative Study Based on the Health Belief Model

“…First, for perceived barriers, some MSM individuals might believe that condom usage would affect the trust of intimacy [ 20 ], same-sex identity [ 21 ], or lower sexual pleasure during UAI [ 22 ], as a result of which they would choose not to use condoms. Second, self-efficacy of condom use usually refers to the reward and proper use of condoms and to the communication with partners concerning condom use [ 23 , 24 ]. MSM with a high self-efficacy of condom use might have strong confidence and awareness to maintain condom use behaviors during anal sex, whether with regular partners or nonregular partners.…”

Prevalence and predictors of early COVID-19 behavioral intentions in the United States

“…For example, someone with high self-efficacy about face mask use would be highly confident that they could successfully and confidently wear a face mask in public. Self-efficacy was chosen for the current study because of its well-established relationship with intentions to engage in disease prevention (e.g., condom use and receiving vaccinations) for infectious illnesses, such as HIV/AIDS [ 3 , 4 ], Human papillomavirus (HPV) [ 5 ], Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) [ 6 ], parasitic disease [ 7 ], Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) [ 8 ], and Zika [ 9 ]. Notably relevant in a pre-COVID-19 simulation of the spread of a generic respiratory illness, self-efficacy was a key predictor of intentions to engage in social distancing [ 10 ].…”

“…In studies of both adolescents and older adults, perceived threat of SARS has been linked to increased prevention behaviors, such as washing hands and covering one’s nose and mouth when sneezing and coughing [ 8 , 14 ]. Perceived susceptibility has also been shown to predict acceptability of an HPV vaccine [ 5 ], and receiving MERS-related health information was shown to increase perceived threat of MERS, which, in turn, increased intentions toward hand washing and covering coughs [ 6 ].…”