141st APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

Home Events & Meetings Annual Meeting Schedule & Program

Recorded Annual Meeting Presentations (RAMP) are now available for purchase.
Only $90 for presenters, $140 for registered attendees and $200 for non-attendees.

Online Program

292299
Ghana, west-africa: National level data on barriers to condom use


Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Samuel Sowah, MS, Department of Health and Human Performance, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN
Andrew Owusu, PhD, Department of Health and Human Performance, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN
Stephen Kwakye, Ph.D, Regional Institute for Population Studies (RIPS), University of Ghana Legon, Regional Institute for Population Studies (RIPS), University of Ghana Legon., Accra, Ghana
Delali Badasu, Ph.D, Regional Institute for Population Studies, University of Ghana, Regional Institute for Population Studies, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
Introduction: Proper and consistent use of condoms are effective preventive strategies against HIV transmission. Yet, in Ghana, West-Africa, condom use prevalence is relatively low. This study examined barriers (personal, social, cultural etc.) to condom use among Ghanaians.

Methods: Condom use patterns and perceptions of barriers to condom use were assessed using a 72-item questionnaire including items from the Condom Barrier Scale (CBS). CBS constructs include; partner-barriers, effect of condom use on sexual experience, access/availability and motivational barriers. Chi-square tests examined the relationship between selected demographic variables and CBS items.

Results: Selected results - Education was significantly associated with knowing where to get/buy a condom, X2 (6, N=5860)=409.10, p<0.001. Respondents with no education (20.7%) were more likely to not know where to buy a condom compared to respondents with secondary-education (4.4%) or tertiary-education (2.7%). Gender was significantly associated with being afraid to suggest condom use to partner, X2 (2, N=5830)=78.59, p<0.001. Female respondents (28.6%) were more likely to agree/strongly agree to be afraid to suggest condom use than males (18.1%). Gender was also significantly associated with the perception that condoms fell unnatural, X2 (2, N=5819)=24.91, p<0.001. Male respondents (53.4%) were more likely to agree/strongly agree that condoms feel unnatural than female respondents (49.4%).

Conclusion: In addition to highlighting several key, but varying barriers to condom use, this study provides necessary first-ever national level baseline data on barriers to condom use. It allows for more in-depth theory-based examination to better understand the relationship between identified barriers and condom use in Ghana.

Learning Areas:

Protection of the public in relation to communicable diseases including prevention or control

Learning Objectives:
Identify the complex barriers to condom use among Ghanaians

Keyword(s): International Health, HIV Risk Behavior

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: As a Ph.D student i have had the experience of being the research assistant on the current content and other like projetcs. Prior to that, i worked as a project officer at West African Project to Combat AIDS & STI(WAPCAS) in Ghana- West Africa so i bring that experience to bear on this content.The current abstract also falls in my area of research(Risky Health Behaviors).
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 4359.0: Poster Session 1: Monitoring & Evaluation in International Health