Cross-cultural variations in adolescents' perceived maternal expectancy and sexual initiation

Family and Friend Influence on Urban-Dwelling American Indian Adolescent Girl's Sexual Risk Behavior

Previous research with American Indian (AI) adolescent sexual risk behavior primarily focused on reservation-dwelling youth despite 70% of AIs living off Native lands. Using grounded theory methodology, I sampled 20 adolescent AI girls via talking circles and interviews to explore the perceptions of AI adolescent girls living in an urban, Midwest area about the influence of family and friends on their sexual behavior. Similar to research with other racial groups, participants cited their family and friends as a major influence. Five unique themes emerged related to family and friend influence. Urban-dwelling AI girls rely on their female family members and peers for information related to sex and receive varying messages from their networks of family and friends, which often overlap. AI youth have unique family groups yet have some similarities to other ethnic groups with regard to family and friend relationships that may allow for enhanced intervention development.

Urban American Indian Adolescent Girls: Framing Sexual Risk Behavior

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to explore factors that influence urban adolescent American Indian (AI) girls' sexual risk behavior.

DESIGN

A qualitative study was conducted with grounded theory methodology to reveal factors and processes that influence sexual risk behavior.

METHOD

Talking circles, individual interviews, and event history calendars were used with 20 urban AI 15- to 19-year-old girls to explore influences on sexual risk behavior.

RESULTS

The generated theory-framing sexual risk behavior-describes social and structural factors and processes that influenced the girls' sexual risk behavior. The theory extends Bronfenbrenner's ecological model by identifying microsystem, mesosystem, and macrosystem influences on sexual risk behavior.

DISCUSSION

Urban AI girls reported similar social and structural influences on sexual risk behavior as urban adolescents from other racial and ethnic groups. However, differences were noted in the family structure, cultural heritage, and unique history of AIs.

IMPLICATIONS

This theory can be used in culturally responsive practice with urban AI girls.