Emotion Efficacy Improves Prediction of HIV/AIDS Risky Behaviors: A Modified Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills Model

Although the information-motivation-behavioral (IMB) skills model is a functional and well-known model for HIV/AIDS prevention, there are criticisms surrounding this model, including how the role of emotion in preventing high-risk behaviors has been neglected. The present study intends to investigate the prediction of psychological factors affecting HIV/AIDS prevention among people at high risk for HIV/AIDS by the modified IMB skills model in Iran. Two hundred sixty-nine individuals with high-risk sexual behaviors were selected by snowball sampling and completed the international HIV/AIDS questionnaire, the IMB questionnaire in high-risk sexual behaviors, and the emotion efficacy scale. The findings indicated that the predicted variance increased by 59% as emotion efficacy entered the suggested model, which improves the goodness-of-fit of the model with the data (chi(2) = 175.50, RMSEA = 0.056, GFI = 0.99, AGFI = 0.97, CFI = 0.99, NFI = 0.97, TLI = 0.96, AIC = 89.43). The new modified model provides a stronger prediction of healthy behaviors and prevention of high-risk behaviors in the context of HIV/AIDS, which can inform HIV/AIDS-related health planning.