Predictors of intention to promote family planning: a survey of Protestant seminarians in the United States

Health Educ Behav. 2002 Oct;29(5):521-41. doi: 10.1177/109019802237022.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine Protestant seminary students' intention to promote family planning. Intention to promote family planning and its predictors were examined by testing a conceptual model based on the theory of planned behavior and social cognitive theory. A nonrepresentative sample of 635 seminarians (90.5% Anglo; 66.5% male) from 10 theological schools in the United States completed a mailed survey. Students were classified according to their religious beliefs as conservative (61.9%) and nonconservative (38.1%), and group differences in intention (and its correlates) were examined. Structural equation modeling was used to assess relationships among attitudes toward sexuality, attitudes toward family planning, subjective norms, knowledge, self-efficacy, and intention for both conservative and nonconservative students. Results indicated that the relationships among predictors of intention were essentially similar for both conservative and nonconservative seminarians, with attitudes and self-efficacy for promoting family planning exhibiting the strongest direct effects on intention.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Analysis of Variance
  • Chi-Square Distribution
  • Family Planning Services*
  • Female
  • Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice*
  • Health Promotion*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Protestantism*
  • Students / psychology*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • United States