IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/dem/wpaper/wp-2002-029.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Determinants of individual AIDS risk perception: knowledge, behavioural control, and social influence

Author

Listed:
  • Laura Bernardi

    (Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany)

Abstract

In sub-Saharan Africa an almost universal awareness of AIDS lethality and of HIV sexual transmission mechanism coexists together with a reluctance in adopting consequent preventive measures as protected sexual intercourse. The socio-psychological literature on health-related behaviour emphasises the perception of being at risk of HIV/AIDS infection as being one of the necessary conditions for preventive behaviour to be adopted. Analysing data from the Kenya Diffusion and Ideational Change (KDIC) Project, this paper investigates the determinants of the reported degree of risk perception of getting infected by HIV/AIDS. In particular, adopting a social interaction approach, we argue that individual risk perception is shaped by social network influences. We use information about conversation related to AIDS and HIV infection risk occurring among individuals and their social network members. We are able to show to what extent neglecting individuals´ reciprocal influences into explanatory models leads to a mis-estimation of the weight of other factors, as AIDS related knowledge and behavioural factors.

Suggested Citation

  • Laura Bernardi, 2002. "Determinants of individual AIDS risk perception: knowledge, behavioural control, and social influence," MPIDR Working Papers WP-2002-029, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:dem:wpaper:wp-2002-029
    DOI: 10.4054/MPIDR-WP-2002-029
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.demogr.mpg.de/papers/working/wp-2002-029.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.4054/MPIDR-WP-2002-029?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Campbell, Catherine, 2000. "Selling sex in the time of AIDS: the psycho-social context of condom use by sex workers on a Southern African mine," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 50(4), pages 479-494, February.
    2. Schopper, Doris & Doussantousse, Serge & Orav, John, 1993. "Sexual behaviors relevant to HIV transmission in a rural African population : How much can a KAP survey tell us?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 37(3), pages 401-412, August.
    3. Laibson, David, 1998. "Life-cycle consumption and hyperbolic discount functions," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 42(3-5), pages 861-871, May.
    4. London, Andrew S. & Robles, Arodys, 2000. "The co-occurrence of correct and incorrect HIV transmission knowledge and perceived risk for HIV among women of childbearing age in El Salvador," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 51(8), pages 1267-1278, October.
    5. Peruga, Armando & Celentano, David D., 1993. "Correlates of AIDS knowledge in samples of the general population," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 36(4), pages 509-524, February.
    6. Daniel Kahneman & Amos Tversky, 2013. "Prospect Theory: An Analysis of Decision Under Risk," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Leonard C MacLean & William T Ziemba (ed.), HANDBOOK OF THE FUNDAMENTALS OF FINANCIAL DECISION MAKING Part I, chapter 6, pages 99-127, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    7. Loewenstein, George, 1996. "Out of Control: Visceral Influences on Behavior," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 65(3), pages 272-292, March.
    8. Michael Kremer, 1996. "Integrating Behavioral Choice into Epidemiological Models of AIDS," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 111(2), pages 549-573.
    9. Renne, Elisha P., 1997. "Local and institutional interpretations of IUDs in southwestern Nigeria," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 44(8), pages 1141-1148, April.
    10. Michael Kremer, 1996. "Integrating Behavioral Choice into Epidemiological Models of the AIDS Epidemic," NBER Working Papers 5428, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    11. Susan Cotts Watkins, 2000. "Local and Foreign Models of Reproduction in Nyanza Province, Kenya," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 26(4), pages 725-759, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. L. Embleton & E. Ruggiero & C. H. Logie & D. Ayuku & P. Braitstein, 0. "Piloting an evidence-based intervention for HIV prevention among street youth in Eldoret, Kenya," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 0, pages 1-11.
    2. Yamauchi, Futoshi & Ueyama, Mika, 2008. "Social learning, selection, and HIV infection: Evidence from Malawi," IFPRI discussion papers 817, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    3. L. Embleton & E. Ruggiero & C. H. Logie & D. Ayuku & P. Braitstein, 2020. "Piloting an evidence-based intervention for HIV prevention among street youth in Eldoret, Kenya," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 65(4), pages 433-443, May.
    4. Zhengtao Li & Henk Folmer & Jianhong Xue, 2016. "Perception of Air Pollution in the Jinchuan Mining Area, China: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-18, July.
    5. Hans-Peter Kohler & Jere Behrman & Susan Watkins, 2007. "Social networks and HIV/AIDS risk perceptions," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 44(1), pages 1-33, February.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Mannberg, Andréa, 2012. "Risk and rationalization—The role of affect and cognitive dissonance for sexual risk taking," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 56(6), pages 1325-1337.
    2. Yao Yao, 2022. "Fertility and HIV Risk in Africa," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 45, pages 109-133, July.
    3. Andrea Galeotti & Brian W. Rogers, 2013. "Strategic Immunization and Group Structure," American Economic Journal: Microeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 5(2), pages 1-32, May.
    4. Daniel Nettle, 2010. "Why Are There Social Gradients in Preventative Health Behavior? A Perspective from Behavioral Ecology," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 5(10), pages 1-6, October.
    5. Byron B. Carson, 2022. "Individuals and Externalities in Economic Epidemiology: A Tension and Synthesis," Journal of Private Enterprise, The Association of Private Enterprise Education, vol. 37(Fall 2022), pages 1-24.
    6. Jeremy Greenwood & Nezih Guner & Karen A. Kopecky, 2022. "The Downward Spiral," NBER Working Papers 29764, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    7. repec:cup:judgdm:v:17:y:2022:i:5:p:988-1014 is not listed on IDEAS
    8. Brotherhood, Luiz & Cavalcanti, Tiago & Da Mata, Daniel & Santos, Cezar, 2022. "Slums and pandemics," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).
    9. Sanjeev Goyal & Adrien Vigier, 2014. "Attack, Defence, and Contagion in Networks," Review of Economic Studies, Oxford University Press, vol. 81(4), pages 1518-1542.
    10. Jesper Akesson & Sam Ashworth-Hayes & Robert Hahn & Robert Metcalfe & Itzhak Rasooly, 2022. "Fatalism, beliefs, and behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 64(2), pages 147-190, April.
    11. Thomas Ash & Antonio M. Bento & Daniel Kaffine & Akhil Rao & Ana I. Bento, 2022. "Disease-economy trade-offs under alternative epidemic control strategies," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-14, December.
    12. Chen, Daniel L. & Yeh, Susan, 2022. "How do rights revolutions occur? Free speech and the first amendment," TSE Working Papers 22-1396, Toulouse School of Economics (TSE).
    13. Leiser, David & Azar, Ofer H. & Hadar, Liat, 2008. "Psychological construal of economic behavior," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 29(5), pages 762-776, November.
    14. Richard P Bagozzi, 2000. "The poverty of economic explanations of consumption and an action theory alternative," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 21(3-4), pages 95-109.
    15. David Aadland & David Finnoff & Kevin X. D. Huang, 2016. "Behavioral Origins of Epidemiological Bifurcations," Vanderbilt University Department of Economics Working Papers 16-00004, Vanderbilt University Department of Economics.
    16. d’Albis, Hippolyte & Augeraud-Véron, Emmanuelle, 2021. "Optimal prevention and elimination of infectious diseases," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    17. Sander Heinsalu, 2020. "Infection arbitrage," Papers 2004.08701, arXiv.org, revised Apr 2020.
    18. Aureo de Paula & Gil Shapira & Petra E. Todd, 2008. "How Beliefs about HIV Status Affect Risky Behaviors: Evidence from Malawi, Fifth Version," PIER Working Paper Archive 10-023, Penn Institute for Economic Research, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania, revised 10 Jul 2010.
    19. Timo Boppart & Karl Harmenberg & John Hassler & Per Krusell & Jonna Olsson, 2020. "Integrated Epi-Econ Assessment," NBER Working Papers 28282, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    20. Auld, M. Christopher & Toxvaerd, Flavio, 2021. "The Great Covid-19 Vaccine Rollout: Behavioural And Policy Responses," National Institute Economic Review, National Institute of Economic and Social Research, vol. 257, pages 14-35, August.
    21. repec:dau:papers:123456789/7310 is not listed on IDEAS
    22. Farboodi, Maryam & Jarosch, Gregor & Shimer, Robert, 2021. "Internal and external effects of social distancing in a pandemic," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 196(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Kenya; social network;

    JEL classification:

    • J1 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics
    • Z0 - Other Special Topics - - General

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:dem:wpaper:wp-2002-029. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Peter Wilhelm (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.demogr.mpg.de/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.