INDIVIDUALISM-COLLECTIVISM, SELF-EFFICACY, AND OTHER FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH RISK TAKING AMONG GAY ASIAN AND CAUCASIAN MEN

A theoretical framework, which included perspectives of individualism-collectivism and self-efficacy, was used to investigate factors associated with sexual risk practice among gay Asian and Caucasian men. “Risk” was defined as unprotected anal intercourse with any casual partner or with a regular partner whose HIV status was not concordant with the participant’s. Altogether, 201 Caucasian and 199 Asian gay men, largely recruited from gay social venues in inner Sydney, completed an anonymous questionnaire. Most participants were gay self-identified and gay community attached, and more than half of the Asian men had been living in Sydney for at least 3 years. Overall, the Asian men were more collectivist oriented and the Caucasian men more individualist oriented. Data analyses revealed that higher self-efficacy in avoiding casual risk encounters and smaller proportion of gay friends were associated with less risk. The inclusion of individualism-collectivism and social cognitive variables in the examination of sexual risk practices among gay men from different cultural backgrounds holds promise.