Psychosocial determinants of risky sexual behaviour amongst South African male prison inmates in KwaZulu‐Natal and Mpumalanga Provinces

Abstract

Purpose

To inform future intervention programmes, the purpose of this paper is to explore the psychosocial and contextual determinants of intention to reduce risky sexual behaviour amongst inmates in South African prisons.

Design/methodology/approach

A cross sectional study using interviewer administered questionnaires was conducted with 357 inmates across four prison facilities in South Africa that were involved in a pre‐release health education intervention for parolees in two provinces.

Findings

About 65 per cent of participants were first time offenders. Almost 50 per cent were unemployed prior to arrest and 66 per cent were married at time of incarceration. Self‐efficacy, general life skills efficacy and sexual communication were the strongest predictors of intention to reduce risky behaviour upon release. High intenders were significantly different from low intenders in their self‐efficacy, sexual communication, attitudes towards condom use and the perceived norm of sex being a non‐utilitarian transaction.

Research limitations/implications

One of the key limitations is the low literacy levels amongst prison inmates. Data also relied heavily on self reports of behaviours that may have occurred prior to the participants being incarcerated.

Originality/value

It is concluded that the exploration of subpopulation specific behavioural determinants is a critical step in the development of effective, contextually‐relevant, health education interventions.

Citation

Sifunda, S., Reddy, P., Braithwaite, R.L., Stephens, T., Ruiter, R.A.C. and van den Borne, B. (2012), "Psychosocial determinants of risky sexual behaviour amongst South African male prison inmates in KwaZulu‐Natal and Mpumalanga Provinces", International Journal of Prisoner Health, Vol. 8 No. 3/4, pp. 151-162. https://doi.org/10.1108/17449201211285021