Indirect and Direct Perceived Behavioral Control and the Role of Intention in the Context of Birth Control Behavior

Jessica D. Hanson, Faryle Nothwehr, Jingzhen Ginger Yang, Paul Romitti

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

14 Scopus citations

Abstract

Unintended pregnancies can have negative consequences for both mother and child. The focus of this study was to utilize perceived behavioral control measures (PBC; part of the theory of planned behavior) to identify relevant behavioral determinants of birth control use. This study also tested associations between direct and indirect PBC measures and intention of birth control use and between intention and birth control use. The methods included a randomly selected sample of patients at a health care system in the Upper Midwest who were sent a self-administered survey, with 190 non-pregnant women returning completed surveys. Participants indicated a high level of control over using birth control, and a significant positive correlation was observed between direct and indirect PBC measures. Participants also reported high intentions to use birth control, and a significant positive correlation was observed between intention and PBC. Additionally, both PBC measures and intention were independently and significantly associated with behavior, and PBC remained significantly associated with behavior when intention was added into the model. In conclusion, compared to the previous literature, this study is unique in that it examines indirect PBC measures and also the important role that PBC plays with actual birth control behavior.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1535-1542
Number of pages8
JournalMaternal and child health journal
Volume19
Issue number7
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 25 2015
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2014, Springer Science+Business Media New York.

Keywords

  • Perceived behavioral control
  • Sexual health
  • Theory of planned behavior
  • Women’s health

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