Using the Health Belief Model to Predict Safer Sex Intentions of Incarcerated Youth

The purpose of this study was to test constructs of an enhanced version of the health belief model (HBM) in predicting juvenile delinquents' safer sex intentions. An accessible sample (n = 452) of incarcerated youth between the ages of 13-18 years from a midwestern state were subjects. HBM constructs were measured with an instrument tested for face, content, and construct validity as well as internal reliability. HBM constructs accounted for 28% of the variance in safer sex intentions. The results of this study support the use of the HBM in understanding human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) risk behavior in this population. The implications of these results for theory-based HIV prevention among incarcerated youth are presented.