Knowledge and attitudes toward condom use--do they predict behavior among Filipino Americans?

Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 211 Filipino-American adolescents and young adults residing in Los Angeles County to assess AIDS related knowledge, attitudes and behaviors. Among both sexually active and never sexually active respondents, HIV knowledge and self-efficacy with respect to condom use were generally high, and the majority held peer norms that were supportive of condom use. More than half of sexually active respondents reported condom use at last intercourse. Knowledge of HIV transmission, demographic variables, barriers to condom use, peer norms, and being comfortable asking a steady partner to routinely use condoms were not related to condom use at last intercourse. Higher self-efficacy (odds ratio 2.4, P<.06) and carrying condoms (odds ratio 1.9, P<.08) were the only two variables that approached statistical significance in their relationship to condom use at last intercourse. Findings suggest that variables that are related to AIDS risk behavior among non-Asian populations may not explain condom use among Filipinos. Therefore, future studies should identify determinants of AIDS risk behavior among Filipinos and other Asian American populations as a first step towards developing culturally relevant AIDS prevention programs for these groups.