An online intervention to increase the intention to use condoms through action and coping plans.

Abstract

This research aims at increasing the motivation to use condoms amongst adolescents since they are frequent victims of sexually transmitted infections and/or unplanned pregnancies. An online intervention investigated the effects of four interventions including motivational components or volitional components. In the main study adolescents between 12 and 19 years (N = 395) filled out a questionnaire in which we used randomised controlled trials with five intervention groups (matching persuasive arguments to sexual self-schema, mismatching this message and sexual self-schema, providing action and coping plans as support to condom use, combining planning & match and control). The possible barriers to use condoms were investigated in a pilot study (N = 248) and used for creating action and coping plans upon these barriers in the planning condition of the main study. Univariate analysis of variance showed a main effect of receiving plans on the motivation to use condoms for all participants. Multivariate analysis of variance showed an interaction effect for ethnicity and condition on the motivation to prepare for condom use. The planning condition and combined condition only showed increased motivation for non-native Dutch adolescents. It appears useful to include planning in interventions aiming at increasing adolescents’ motivation to have safe sex. Especially non-native Dutch adolescents benefit interventions including persuasive arguments to prepare for safe sex when these match their sexual self-schema and cognitive plans that support for these preparatory behaviours.