The association between adolescent condom use and individual and environmental resilience protective factors

Individual and environmental resilience protective factors are suggested to be associated with adolescent condom use; however, previous studies have not comprehensively examined such associations. This study aimed to determine the associations between condom use, and numerous individual and environmental resilience protective factors in sexually active Australian adolescents.

Participants were Grade 10 students attending 28 Australian government high schools (n=1,688). An online survey (2011) collected data regarding: sexual intercourse (past year), condom use and 14 individual and environmental resilience protective factors. Multivariable backward stepwise logistic regression models examined associations between student condom use and protective factors (total, subscale).

Only total environmental protective factors remained in the final total score model; students with higher total environmental protective factors scores were 2.59 times more likely to always use a condom(95%CI:1.80-3.74). Only three of 14 protective factor subscales were associated with a higher likelihood of always using a condom in the final subscale model (individual: goals/aspirations; environmental: community participation, pro-social peers).

Total environmental and three protective factor subscales demonstrated prominent associations with consistent use of condoms in sexually active adolescents. Implications for public health: Consideration of particular resilience protective factors in adolescent sexual risk behaviour prevention, such as condom use, is warranted.