Self-perception variables that mediate AIDS-preventive behavior in college students.

Three psychological variables--self-efficacy, control and meaning, and perceived risk--were tested in a structural model predicting AIDS-preventive behavior. Results revealed a good model fit, indicating that these psychological variables did play a role in mediating AIDS-preventive behavior in college students. A multivariate analysis of variance and individual analyses of variance conducted for men and women also revealed gender differences on individual items of self-efficacy, perceived risk, and AIDS-preventive behavior. This study underscores the importance of identifying and assessing the psychological determinants of AIDS-preventive behavior.