Gender and ethnic differences in adolescents' attitudes toward condom use

This secondary analysis from the National Adolescent Student Health Survey (NASHS) examined relationships between adolescents' personal and perceived peer attitudes toward condom use with gender and self-reported ethnic background. Descriptive results revealed general personal support and perceived peer support for condom use. Results from multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVAs) demonstrated significant interaction effects for the eighth grade sample [F = (4, 2383228) = 3530.01 p = .000], and the 10th grade sample [F = (4, 2636878) = 2594.41073, p = .000]. Contrasts revealed significant differences among all ethnic groups for both belief variables for the entire sample, eighth grade students, and 10th grade students. Though general support exists for condom use among U.S. eighth and 10th grade students, conviction varies among groups perhaps indicating a need for tailored messages about condom use, especially for Hispanic students. Implications for health education include the need for cultural-sensitive and gender-sensitive STD education.