Abstract:
Promoting safe sex behaviors in female adolescence are an important health policy. The purposes of this causal relationship research were to develop and test the causal relationship model of safe sex behaviors among female adolescences. The sample consisted of 374 female vocational students under the Office of the Vocational Education Commission in the western region of Thailand obtained by multi-stage sampling. The following research instruments used were employed: The Mother-Daughter Safe Sex Communication Scale; The Perceived Safe Sex Behavioral Control Scale; The Sexual Sensation Seeking Scale; The Attitude toward toward Safe Sex Behaviors Scale; The Perceived Social Norms for Safe Sex Behaviors Scale; The Safe Sex Intentions Scale and The Safe Sex Behaviors Scale. The Cranachs alpha coefficients were .94; .85; .77; .76; .86; .85 and .80, respectively. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), and Structural Equation modeling (SEM).
The findings indicated that the causal model for safe sex behaviors in adolescent females was consistent with empirical data at a good level (X2/df = 1.890, GFI = 0.95, AGFI = 0.92, CFI = 0.97, TLI = 0.95, RMR = 0.040, RMSEA = 0.049). Safe sex intentions and sexual sensation seeking directly affected safe sex behaviors, whereas perceived social norms for safe sex behaviors, mother daughter safe sex communication, attitude, toward safe sex behaviors, and perceived safe sex behavioral control indirectly affected safe sex behaviors. All variables were able to jointly predict safe sex behaviors of adolescent females by 81 percent (R2 = .81, p<.001). The best predictor was safe sex intentions (β = .88, P,.001), and the most influential influence pathway was perceived safe sex behavioral control, which indirectly affected safe sex intentions, leading to safe sex behaviors in female adolescents (β = .36, p<.001).
The results can be used to develop programs that promote participative activities between close friends, positive attitudes and increased confidence and ability in controlling behaviors in female students with sexual experience. Finally, schools should develop extracurricular activities that enhance safe sex behavioral control and safe sex intentions in female vocational students.