Date of Award
2003
Degree Type
Dissertation
First Advisor
Patricia Morokoff
Abstract
The HIV/AIDS epidemic represents an ever-increasing threat to the Hispanic populations in the United States. Much research has been done developing and validating HIV prevention measures on English speaking non-Hispanic individuals, but no attempts have been done to develop culturally appropriate measures for at-risk Hispanics. This study had four main goals: (1) to develop and culturally tailor an English and Spanish version of the Transtheoretical Model's condom stage of change, condom use decisional balance, and condom use self-efficacy scales; (2) to develop a Spanish version of the Multifaceted Model's sexual assertiveness scale; (3) to validate the English version of the original Transtheoretical condom use measures (condom stage, decisional balance, and self-efficacy) and Multifaceted Model's (sexual assertiveness) scales; (4) to determine the relationship between the original non-culturally tailored scales and the new developed culturally tailored scales. The sample consisted of Spanish (50%) and English (50%) speaking sexually active Hispanic males and females (n = 250). Principal component analyses were run on the sample and indicated a 3 component solution for the culturally tailored decisional balance scale (accounting for 55% of the variance), a 2 component solution for the culturally tailored self-efficacy scale (accounting for 67% of the variance), and 1 component solution for the culturally tailored sexual assertiveness attitudinal scale (accounting for 44% of the variance). Separate confirmatory factor analyses calculated on the new and original items confirmed the existing factor structures. The data indicated that Hispanics endorsed culturally specific attitudes in the following subscales: negative partner influence, positive social influence, negative social influence, social pressure, emotional/sexual arousal, and sexual assertiveness. Most importantly, these attitudes reflected the traditional Hispanic cultural values and beliefs of familismo, machismo/marianismo, colectivismo, and sexual silence . The relationship between acculturation, condom use attitudes, and HIV risk was partially supported in a structural model. Overall, the findings of this study suggest that cultural beliefs about sex among Hispanics are closely tied to sexual attitudes and behaviors, often contributing to HIV risk. Given our results, models used to prevent HIV among Hispanics should develop measures that include variables that capture the impact of familismo and colectivismo on condom use.
Recommended Citation
Gazabon, Shirley Amanda, "Development of culturally tailored measures for Hispanics at-risk for HIV" (2003). Open Access Dissertations. Paper 1900.
https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/oa_diss/1900
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