Abstract: As part of a study that explored the factors associated with consistent condom use among senior secondary school female learners in Mbonge subdivision of rural Cameroon, the Health Belief Model (HBM) was used as the framework. Literature was reviewed to ascertain how the entire HBM has been defined and what recommendations have been made as to how to apply the HBM as a framework in studies regarding HIV/AIDS prevention. To achieve this, a systemic review of literature was undertaken. Electronic databases, academic journals and books from various sources were accessed. Several key search terms relating to the HBM and HIV/AIDS prevention were used. Only references deemed useful for bibliographies of relevant texts and journal articles were included. The inclusion criteria were articles that provided information about HIV/AIDS prevention and the HBM constructs. Six constructs of the HBM (perceived susceptibility to HIV/AIDS, perceived severity of HIV/AIDS, perceived benefit of condom use, perceived barriers to condom use, cues to action for condom use and condom use self-efficacy), and modifying factors were identified and applied as the framework for the study. The HBM was identified as the most commonly used theory in health education, health promotion and disease prevention, and thus provided the framework for the study. The underlying concept of the HBM is that behaviour is determined by personal beliefs or perceptions about a disease and the strategies available to decrease its occurrence.Abstract: As part of a study that explored the factors associated with consistent condom use among senior secondary school female learners in Mbonge subdivision of rural Cameroon, the Health Belief Model (HBM) was used as the framework. Literature was reviewed to ascertain how the entire HBM has been defined and what recommendations have been made as to how ...Show More
Abstract: Cameroon has a high concentration of out-of-school youths. Therefore research relating to out-of-school adolescents and HIV/AIDS is imperative. The aim of the study was to investigate the perception of risk of contracting HIV/AIDS and its association with multiple sexual partners among out-of-school youths in Kumba, the Southwest region of Cameroon. A cross sectional study was adopted using a self-administered pretested questionnaire to collect data from a multistage probability sample of 405 consenting (208 male and 197 female) out-of-school youths, aged 15-24 years in July 2013. Chi square statistics were calculated using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20 at the level 0.05. Only few out-of-school youths, 84 (20.7%) perceived themselves at high risk of contracting HIV. Of the sexually active respondents, the majority, 129 (57.3%) reported having had multiple sexual partners in the last one year before this study, and 62 (27.7%) reported having multiple concurrent sexual partners at the time of this study. Sexually active respondents who agreed that having multiple sexual partners is a sexual risk behaviour were less likely to have had multiple sequential sexual partners in the one year preceding this study than those who disagreed (p=0.022). Out-of-school youths manifested low perception of risk of contracting HIV/AIDS, with youths having low perception, likely to engage in multiple sexual partnerships, and therefore are at high risk of HIV/AIDS transmission. Targeted programs towards out-of-school youths should focus more on promoting safe sexual practices.Abstract: Cameroon has a high concentration of out-of-school youths. Therefore research relating to out-of-school adolescents and HIV/AIDS is imperative. The aim of the study was to investigate the perception of risk of contracting HIV/AIDS and its association with multiple sexual partners among out-of-school youths in Kumba, the Southwest region of Cameroon...Show More