Zagumny conducting revealing research about condom use
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. (March 10, 2003) -- Although Matthew Zagumny's research
focuses on statistics and quantitative data, his investigation into a
most personal behavior -- condom use -- communicates a message anyone
can understand.
The Tennessee Tech University counseling and psychology professor's
international research has led him to survey commercial sex workers,
prisoners, military personnel and young adults in order to predict condom
use among these at-risk groups. Zagumny has partnered with TTU professor
Jadwiga Dolzycki to work at Poland's Lower Silesian University to teach
classes and conduct research.
"Collaborating with two Silesian professors, we conducted surveys
to examine the usefulness of the theory of planned behavior. The theory
basically says attitudes toward a behavior and social norms are the best
predictors of a person's future behavior," said Zagumny. "We
examined the power of psychological attitudes and the norms of important
others."
Important others in the study included sexual partners, health care
providers and religious leaders.
"What we found in the United States and Europe is that social norms
are generally more predictive of condom use than people's own attitudes," said
Zagumny. "Some groups have more influence among certain populations.
For instance, you can better predict a commercial sex worker's condom
use by looking at what his/her sex partner or health care provider considers
normal use."
The study found health care provider norms were "not at all" predictive
for young adults' use of condoms.
Zagumny says he found parallels between the area of southwestern Poland
he surveyed and the Upper Cumberland area, based on value systems and
attitudes about sex education.
"The strong influence of the Catholic Church in Poland makes it
very conservative, more so than the United States as a whole," he
said. "Partnering with faith-based organizations can help open the
doors to the message of condom use."
Closer to home, Zagumny says research efforts in Chicago surveying men
and women of culture also support the theory. Working with the Greater
Chicago Committee for HIV Prevention, he also found that condom use awareness
messages may not have a significant effect on behavior.
"We found that if condoms weren't immediately available when needed, even
those aware of the health risks who intended to use condoms weren't likely to
stop in the heat of the moment," he said. "This may lead to different
content in the messages in public service announcements and other literature
created to influence risky behaviors."
The paper resulting from his work, "Evaluating Condom Use in Chicago:
A Street Outreach Approach," won an award from the American Psychological
Association.
Zagumny, along with Dolzycki, will be returning to Lower Silesian University
this May as guest professors. In July, he and his wife, Lisa, a TTU curriculum
and instruction professor, will present at the International Doctoral
Seminar in Education to faculty and doctoral students from Poland, Great
Britain and the United Sates. She will present "History of American
Education," and he will present "Transglobal Research Methods." The
Zagumnys and Dolzycki previously lectured to the Lower Silesian University
College of Education.
--Karen Lykins
This information posted 10 March 2003