Bowen, P; Yakubu, K and Govender, R (2024) Sexual concurrency and male condom use: Empirical evidence from the South African construction industry. In: Thomson, C (ed.) Proceedings of 40th Annual ARCOM Conference, 2-4 September 2024, London South Bank University, UK.
Abstract
This study examined factors influencing condom use consistency among male construction workers with regular partners, casual partners, and sex workers in the Western Cape. Data from 450 participants across 18 sites revealed that 54% had engaged with all three partner types in the past 3 months. Condom use was assessed using a five-point Likert scale, showing that 44% never used condoms with regular partners, 34% with casual partners, and 39% with sex workers. A condom use scale score, summing across partner categories, indicated inconsistent practices overall. Hierarchical regression analysed demographic, experiential, behavioural, and cognitive factors in relation to consistent condom use. Results showed that perceived control over condom use, fear of HIV infection, and positive condom attitudes were associated with higher consistency. Cognitive and experiential factors collectively explained more variance in condom use than demographics or behaviour alone. Given advances in HIV treatment, understanding experiential variables - such as previous STI diagnoses, knowing HIV+ individuals or those on ARV medication, or someone who died from HIV/AIDS - is crucial for intervention design.
| Item Type: | Conference Paper (Paper) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | condom use; construction workers; HIV/AIDS; concurrent sex; masculinity |
| Index terms: | demographics, construction worker, perceived control, construction industry, evidence, Likert scale, HIV/AIDS, condom, masculinity, variance |
| Subjects: | evaluation and assessment methods, data collection methods, practitioner, health behaviours and lifestyles, health conditions and diseases, measurement and scaling, sociology, demography, behavioral psychology, industry analysis |
| Topics: | Health and Safety, Research Practice, Roles and Professions, Urban Studies |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here