Individual risk preference as a predictor of health behaviour: evidence from the use of condoms against HIV/AIDS in Ghana
Date
2023
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
BMC Public Health
Abstract
Background It is evident that public health education interventions to promote the use of condoms against HIV
infections in Ghana have yielded modest results. However, existing studies in the field of sexual and reproductive
health in Ghana have failed to account for differences in risk preferences of individuals. This study fills the gap
by investigating how individuals’ risk preferences predict their behaviour toward using condoms against HIV in Ghana.
Method Conceptually, the study followed the Grossman health capital theoretical model for risk preference
and health behaviour nexus. Data were obtained from the most recent Ghana Living Standards Survey Round 7 (GLSS
7), conducted in 2017. Using data from GLSS 7, a probit regression model was estimated to show how the risk preferences
of individuals that did not abstain from sex predicted their use of condoms against HIV. To ensure robustness,
two scenarios of declared risk preferences were used to predict the use of condom behaviour against HIV.
Results Probit regression estimation shows that the risk preferences of individuals that did not abstain from sex
significantly predicted their use of condoms against HIV in Ghana. Even though the study found that the predicted
probability of using a condom reduces among risk-averse individuals that do not abstain from sex, not using a condom
against HIV was found to be worse among risk lovers.
Conclusion The study provides empirical evidence that public health education against HIV/AIDS in Ghana cannot
continue to ignore the risk preference of individuals. The results of this study have immediate implications,
first for a comprehensive and continuous measurement of risk preferences among Ghanaians in major household
surveys going forward. At the moment, the latest round of the GLSS is just about the only household survey in Ghana
that has attempted to collect some data on individual time and risk preferences using only hypothetical monetary
rewards. Second is the immediate consideration of individual risk preferences in public health education campaigns against HIV/AIDS in Ghana.
Description
Research Article
Keywords
Risk preference, Risk-averse, Risk-lover, Condom use, HIV/AIDS, Ghana