Family-Related Allocentrism and HIV Risk Behavior in Central and Eastern Europe

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Abstract
The recent rapid spread of HIV infection in Eastern Europe raises important questions about the role of individual attitudes in the prediction and control of this epidemic. This article examines the relationship of family-related allocentrism (familism) to HIV risk behavior and perceived vulnerability to HIV/AIDS across five Central and Eastern European countries. Respondents completed questionnaires measuring allocentric attitudes, giving information about sexual activity during the previous 6 months and perceived vulnerability to HIV infection. As predicted, those scoring high on familism were more conservative in their sexual behavior, with this finding largely consistent across all five cultures and two different occupation groups. An analysis of the relationship between familism and perceived vulnerability to HIV/AIDS revealed a more complex pattern of findings that highlights the need to account for the individual's previous HIV risk behavior when trying to predict perceived vulnerability to HIV/AIDS from personality attributes and attitudes.