Affiliative preferences, self-change, and adolescent condom use.

PURPOSE: To describe the social comparisons, as measured by affiliative preferences, of Hispanic and non-Hispanic White adolescents who are either contemplating, initiating, or maintaining effective condom use, and to examine whether these preferences vary with stage of change for condom use and behavioral self-esteem.
DESIGN: School-based survey of 180 sexually-active, 12th grade students at two public high schools in northern New Mexico.
METHODS: Participants anonymously completed structured questionnaires in the classroom.
FINDINGS: With few exceptions, respondents preferred to affiliate with others who were similar demographically. Stage of change had a significant main effect on adolescents' affiliative preferences related to condom use. Contemplators wanted to be with peers who used condoms more than they did (upward affiliations), while those in the preparation and maintenance stages wanted to affiliate with those who used condoms essentially the same amount as they did (lateral affiliations). Stage of change also had a significant interaction with behavioral self-esteem in predicting preferred affiliations related to condom use. Among participants in the preparation stage, those with low self-esteem wanted to affiliate with peers who used condoms less than they did (downward affiliations), while those with moderate self-esteem preferred affiliations that were slightly upward.
CONCLUSIONS: Social comparison theory was a useful theoretical framework for examining preventive health behaviors. Adolescents' preferences for affiliation with peers varied according to stage of change and behavioral self-esteem. Implications regarding the use of targeted interventions for each stage of change are discussed.