{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,18]],"date-time":"2026-03-18T01:46:49Z","timestamp":1773798409653,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":54,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,4,3]],"date-time":"2024-04-03T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1712102400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"National Funds through FCT\u2014the Foundation for Science and Technology, I.P., within the scope of project","award":["UIDB\/00742\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UIDB\/00742\/2020"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJERPH"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Consistent condom use is recognized as one of the most effective strategies to prevent unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections. Despite their effectiveness, condoms remain fairly well used among younger people. The conception of appropriate measures to change behaviors needs a deep understanding of the factors underlying poor adherence to condom use. This study aims to identify the predictors of condom use among college students. A cross-sectional, correlational, and predictive study was conducted involving a convenience sample of 1946 university students, with an average age of 21 years (20.74 \u00b1 2.32). Pender\u2019s Health Promotion Model (HPM) was used as a conceptual and methodological framework to understand the relationship between the predictors of condom use. An explanatory theoretical model of condom use behavior was established using path analysis. Condom use among young people is infrequent, with only 39.4% of respondents reporting consistent use. Perceived benefits, positive feelings, and interpersonal influences emerged as variables with the most explicitly positive influence on the commitment to condom use, a trend confirmed for both sexes. Commitment was the strongest predictor of condom use behavior (\u03b2 = 0.580; p &lt; 0.001). Pender\u2019s HPM is effective in explaining the relationships between the predictors of condom use.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph21040433","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,4,3]],"date-time":"2024-04-03T03:37:21Z","timestamp":1712115441000},"page":"433","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":14,"title":["Predictors of Condom Use among College Students"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"21","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1253-2912","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Maria Jos\u00e9 de Oliveira","family":"Santos","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Health Sciences Research Unit: UICISA: E-EsenfC\/ESSIPV, Health School, University of Tr\u00e1s-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0079-3429","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Elisabete Maria Soares","family":"Ferreira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Manuela Concei\u00e7\u00e3o","family":"Ferreira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Health Sciences Research Unit: UICISA: E-EsenfC\/ESSIPV, Health School of Viseu, Institute Polytechnic de Viseu, 3504-510 Viseu, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,4,3]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"Center of Disease and Prevention Control (2023, October 28). 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