HIV risk behaviors, intentions, and perceptions among Namibian youth as assessed by a theory-based questionnaire

Considerable progress has been made in the United States and Europe regarding HIV risk prevention efforts targeting adolescents. However, in Africa less progress has been made to date. This article address three questions: Can risk assessment questionnaires developed in Western countries be modified so as to be appropriate for use in African countries? Are social cognitive models appropriate in African settings? Does covariation among risk behaviors occur among youth residing in African countries? The data was obtained from a cross-sectional survey conducted among 922 youth ages 12 to 18 years living in school-based hostels in Namibia. Data were collected using a theory-based risk assessment questionnaire. One third of the youth were sexually experienced, three quarters of whom had engaged in sexual intercourse in the previous 6 months. Over one third of these youth had had more that one sexual partner in the previous 6 months and over one half had not used a condom at last episode of intercourse. The psychometric properties of the questionnaire and the relationship between perceptions and behaviors provide evidence that theory-based questionnaires developed in Western countries can be modified for use in different cultural settings. The data also provide strong evidence of covariation between risk behaviors among Namibian youth.