Special Collection 1 - Article 9 | Pages 279–318  

Why are they worried? Concern about AIDS in rural Malawi

By Kirsten P. Smith

This article is part of the Special Collection 1 "Social Interactions and HIV/AIDS in Rural Africa"

Abstract

There are two main types of models of behavioral change. What are collectively referred to as "individual models" are the predominant frameworks for studying risk behaviors including those related to HIV/AIDS.
Individual models focus on risk perceptions, attitudes, outcome expectations, perceived norms, and self-efficacy. Models of risk behavior that focus on social or community factors have more recently been developed in response to criticisms of individual models. I use longitudinal data from the Malawi Diffusion and Ideational Change Project to study worry about HIV/AIDS.
Specifically, I ask, what factors determine how much a person worries about HIV/AIDS, and are the predominant factors those that individual models would suggest, or are there are other determinants that have a greater impact on worry? I find that levels of network worry and suspected spousal infidelity have the strongest and most robust influence on respondent worry, providing support for the importance of social factors.

Author's Affiliation

• Kirsten P. Smith - University of Pennsylvania, United States of America EMAIL

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