Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Identifier

418

Date

2011

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Major

Counseling Psychology

Committee Chair

Sharon Gayle Horne

Committee Member

Sara Bridges

Committee Member

Suzanne Lease

Committee Member

Pamela Cogdal

Abstract

Even though there have been multiple initiatives orchestrated to educate MSM (Men Who Have Sex with Men) about engaging in safer sex practices, many still engage in unsafe sexual practices(Hospers, Molenaar, and Kok, 1994; Seal et al., 2000). There is a substantial amount of research supporting the role perceived peer norms and self-efficacy play in facilitating and individual's sexual behaviors (Hamilton & Mahalik, 2009; Kelly et al., 1995; Miner, Peterson Welles, Jacoby, & Roser, 2010; Peterson & Bakeman, 2006; Peterson, Rothenberg, Kraft, Beeker, & Trotter, 2009). Furthermore, Hamilton and Mahalik (2009) found that minority stress signifcantly interacted with perceived social norms in predicting risky health behaviors. However, researchers have not explored the relationship connectedness with the GLB community along with perceived norms of different peer groups, minority stress, and condom use self-efficacy with the practice of protective sexual health behaviors. This study used cross-sectional design to examine the potential relationship between peer norms, connectedness with GLB community, minority stress, condom self-efficacy, and safer sex behaviors. Data were collected via and online survey with 96 participants. Sixty-Four reported having receptive or insertive sexual intercourse with a main and/or casual male partner. Results indicated that perceived gay and straight peernorms, connectedness with the GLB community, and condom use self-efficacy were significant independent predictors of protective sexual behaviors. In addition, connectedness with the GLB community accounted for a greater amount of the variance in perceived gay peer norms endorsing protective sexual behaviors compared to perceived straight peer norms. However, minority stress did not moderate the relationship between perceived peer norms and the dependent variables. Also, community connectedness did not moderate the relationship between minority stress and the dependent variables. Implications for health initiatives with MSM are discussed.

Comments

Data is provided by the student.

Library Comment

Dissertation or thesis originally submitted to the local University of Memphis Electronic Theses & dissertation (ETD) Repository.

Download

Share

COinS