Reconceptualizing adolescent sexual risk in a parent-based expansion of the Theory of Planned Behavior.

PURPOSE

To expand the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to explicate the influence of parents on adolescent behaviors and describe its application to adolescent sexual risk behaviors.

ORGANIZING CONSTRUCT

Parents have repeatedly been shown to be among the most significant influences on adolescents' sexual risk-related attitudes, intentions, and behaviors. However, many of the leading theoretical frameworks for understanding HIV-related sexual risk behavior are individual-level models that do not include important influences outside the individual, such as parents and families.

FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS

The proposed expansion of the TPB indicates the conceptual underpinnings for the design of family-based prevention programs to reduce HIV-related risk behaviors among adolescents. Additional research is needed to examine the predictive validity of the expanded model, and instrument development is needed for many of the expanded model constructs, most notably the parent constructs.