A test of an adapted Multiple Domain Model in predicting sexual behaviors among Indian college students

HIV/AIDS is a serious public health problem in India with approximately 2.5 million HIV-positive individuals. Young people aged 15-24 are disproportionately affected; this has been attributed to rising pre-marital/high risk sexual behaviors. Theory-based, scientific research examining sexual behaviors of youth is sparse in India. The objective of this study was to garner a theory-based understanding of sexual behaviors among youth in India. In a cross-sectional study of undergraduate students aged 18-22, an adaptation of a comprehensive model of health behavior, Multiple Domain Model (MDM), including structural (e.g. gender, caste), personality (e.g. impulsivity), environmental/cultural (e.g. media), psychosocial (e.g. attitudes), gender-role identity (added for this study), preparatory behaviors (avoiding/seeking sexual situations) and situational (relationship status, alcohol use) variables, was employed. Questionnaires were made available in both English and Hindi to the bilingual study sample. Separate structural equation models were tested for three dependent variables (DVs) – ever had sex (variance explained 47%), pre-sexual behaviors (variance explained 48%), and intentions to have sex (variance explained 43%). Model fit indices (e.g. CFI, RMSEA) indicated good fit to the data. Most important predictors across the 3 DVs were preparatory behaviors, gender role-M factor, attitudes toward having sex and relationship status. This presentation will focus on: 1) Predictors of each DV and reasons for differences in variance explained in the 3 DVs; 2) Test of MDM with SEM which helps examine the potential process of influence on sexual behaviors; 3) Implications and suggested interventions; 4) Adaptation of western theories to understand health-related behaviors in non-western contexts.