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Alley JC, McDonnell AS, Diamond LM. Early adversity and sexual diversity: the importance of self-reported and neurobiological sexual reward sensitivity. Sci Rep 2024; 14:8717. [PMID: 38622142 PMCID: PMC11018754 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-58389-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Work shows that sexually-diverse individuals face high rates of early life adversity and in turn increased engagement in behavioral outcomes traditionally associated with adversity, such as sexual risk taking. Recent theoretical work suggests that these associations may be attributable to heightened sexual reward sensitivity among adversity-exposed women. We aimed to test these claims using a combination of self-report and EEG measures to test the relationship between early adversity, sexual reward sensitivity (both self-reported and EEG measured) and sexual risk taking in a sexually diverse sample of cis-gender women (N = 208) (Mage = 27.17, SD = 6.36). Results showed that childhood SES predicted self-reported sexual reward sensitivity which in turn predicted numbers of male and female sexual partners. In contrast we found that perceived childhood unpredictability predicted neurobiological sexual reward sensitivity as measured by EEG which in turn predicted male sexual partner number. The results presented here provide support for the notion that heightened sexual reward sensitivity may be a pathway through which early life adversity augments future sexual behavior, and underscores the importance of including greater attention to the dynamics of pleasure and reward in sexual health promotion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenna C Alley
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, 760 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
| | - Amy S McDonnell
- Department of Psychology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Lisa M Diamond
- Department of Psychology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
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Lewis MA, Zhou Z, Parks KA, Evans-Polce R, Litt DM, Fairlie AM, Geusens F, LoParco C, McCabe SE. Polysubstance use among young adults and differences in negative alcohol-related sexual experiences. Addict Behav 2023; 138:107571. [PMID: 36502745 PMCID: PMC9780189 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2022.107571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
This study aimed to compare negative alcohol-related sexual experiences among individuals who used (1) alcohol only, (2) alcohol plus marijuana, and (3) alcohol plus marijuana and stimulants. Participants in the analytic sample (N = 1,015; Mean age = 19.16 (SD = 0.79); 45.42% male) completed an online baseline survey as part of an intervention study. A hurdle negative binomial model examined the associations between polysubstance use and negative alcohol-related sexual experiences. Models examined if experiences varied by demographic factors. Compared to participants that only used alcohol, those who used alcohol plus marijuana and stimulants reported a higher likelihood and average number of negative alcohol-related sexual experiences in the past 3 months. Participants that used alcohol plus marijuana had a higher likelihood of having a negative alcohol-related sexual experience in the past 3 months compared to those who only used alcohol. These findings suggest the number and risk for negative alcohol-related sexual experiences increases with the number of substances being used.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa A Lewis
- Department of Health Behavior and Health Systems, School of Public Health, University of North Texas Health Science Center, 3500 Camp Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth, TX 76107, United States.
| | - Zhengyang Zhou
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of North Texas Health Science Center, 3500 Camp Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth, TX 76107, United States
| | - Kathleen A Parks
- Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences, The State University at New York at Buffalo, 1021 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14203, United States
| | - Rebecca Evans-Polce
- Center for the Study of Drugs, Alcohol, Smoking and Health, Department of Health Behavior and Biological Sciences, School of Nursing, University of Michigan, 400 North Ingalls Building, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
| | - Dana M Litt
- Department of Health Behavior and Health Systems, School of Public Health, University of North Texas Health Science Center, 3500 Camp Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth, TX 76107, United States
| | - Anne M Fairlie
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Center for the Study of Health and Risk Behaviors, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific St, Seattle, WA 98195, United States
| | - Femke Geusens
- Leuven School for Mass Communication Research, KU Leuven, Parkstraat 45 box 3603, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Research Foundation Flanders/FWO Vlaanderen, Leuvenseweg 38, 1000 Brussel, Belgium
| | - Cassidy LoParco
- Department of Health Behavior and Health Systems, School of Public Health, University of North Texas Health Science Center, 3500 Camp Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth, TX 76107, United States
| | - Sean Esteban McCabe
- Center for the Study of Drugs, Alcohol, Smoking and Health, Department of Health Behavior and Biological Sciences, School of Nursing, University of Michigan, 400 North Ingalls Building, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
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Neville SE, Saran I, Crea TM. Parental care status and sexual risk behavior in five nationally-representative surveys of sub-Saharan African nations. BMC Public Health 2022; 22:59. [PMID: 35012492 PMCID: PMC8751264 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-021-12437-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background About 10% of children worldwide do not live with either of their biological parents, and although some of these children are orphans, many have living parents. While research shows that orphaned children in Sub-Saharan Africa tend to engage in more sexual risk behaviors than their peers, possibly due to decreased parental oversight and support, it is unclear if these effects also apply to children separated from their living parents. Exploring the question of whether living without parents, regardless of whether they are deceased, is linked to greater sexual risk-taking, this study is the first, to our knowledge, to examine correlates of parental care status in a multi-country, nationally-representative analysis. Methods This study was a secondary analysis of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Violence Against Children Surveys from Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, Nigeria, and Zambia. We conducted logistic regressions on N = 6770 surveys of youth aged 13 to 17 years to determine if living with their biological parents predicted the odds of engaging in risky sexual behavior, controlling for demographic factors including orphanhood. Post-hoc regressions examined specific risk behaviors. Results Compared to those living with both parents, youth not living with either parent had heightened odds of engaging in any sexual risk behavior, even when controlling for orphanhood (OR = 2.56, 95% CI: [1.96, 3.33]). Non-parental care predicted heightened odds of non-condom use (OR = 3.35, 95% CI: [2.38, 4.72]), early sexual debut (OR = 1.80, 95% CI: [1.31, 2.46]), and more sexual partners (β = .60, p < .001). Conclusions This study extends prior research linking orphanhood and sexual risk behavior, lending credence to the idea that it is not parental death, but rather parental absence, that leads to sexual risk in youth. Public health programming in Sub-Saharan Africa should consider targeting not only “orphaned youth,” but all children separated from their parents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Elizabeth Neville
- Boston College School of Social Work, 140 Commonwealth Avenue, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467, USA.
| | - Indrani Saran
- Boston College School of Social Work, 140 Commonwealth Avenue, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467, USA
| | - Thomas M Crea
- Boston College School of Social Work, 140 Commonwealth Avenue, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467, USA
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Onono MA, Odhiambo G, Sheira L, Conroy A, Neilands TB, Bukusi EA, Weiser SD. The role of food security in increasing adolescent girls' agency towards sexual risk taking: qualitative findings from an income generating agricultural intervention in southwestern Kenya. BMC Public Health 2021; 21:2028. [PMID: 34742285 PMCID: PMC8572417 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-021-12051-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Food insecurity is an important underlying driver of HIV risk and vulnerability among adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa. In this region, adolescents account for 80% of all new HIV infections. The primary purpose of this analysis is to understand perceived mechanisms for how a multisectoral agricultural intervention influenced sexual risk taking among HIV-affected adolescents in southwestern Kenya. METHODS We conducted semi-structured, individual interviews with 34 adolescent-caregiver dyads who were participants in Adolescent Shamba Maisha (NCT03741634), a sub-study of adolescent girls and caregivers with a household member participating in the Shamba Maisha trial (NCT01548599), a multi-sectoral agricultural and microfinance intervention. Interviews were audiotaped, transcribed, translated, and analyzed using framework and interpretive description analysis methods. RESULTS Adolescents receiving the Shamba Maisha intervention described no longer needing to engage in transactional sex or have multiple concurrent sexual partners as a way to meet their basic needs, including food. Key mechanisms for these effects include greater sexual agency among adolescent girls, and increased confidence and self-efficacy in overcoming existing reciprocity norms and sexual relationship power inequity; as well as staying in school. The intervention also increased caregiver confidence in talking about adolescent sexual reproductive health issues. In contrast, driven primarily by the need for food and basic needs, girls in the control arms described engaging in transactional sex, having multiple sexual partners, being unable to focus in school, getting pregnant or becoming HIV infected. CONCLUSION These findings emphasize the need to address food insecurity as a part of structural interventions targeting adolescent HIV risk in low-resource countries. We recommend that future interventions build upon the Shamba Maisha model by combining sustainable agricultural production, with household level interventions that deliberately target gender norms that contribute to unequal power dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maricianah A Onono
- Kenya Medical Research Institute, Center for Microbiology Research, P.O. Box 19669-40123, Kisumu, Kenya.
| | - Gladys Odhiambo
- Kenya Medical Research Institute, Center for Microbiology Research, P.O. Box 19669-40123, Kisumu, Kenya
| | - Lila Sheira
- Department of Medicine, Division of HIV, Infectious Diseases, and Global Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA
| | - Amy Conroy
- Division of Prevention Science, Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA
| | - Torsten B Neilands
- Division of Prevention Science, Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Bukusi
- Kenya Medical Research Institute, Center for Microbiology Research, P.O. Box 19669-40123, Kisumu, Kenya
| | - Sheri D Weiser
- Department of Medicine, Division of HIV, Infectious Diseases, and Global Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA
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Koletić G, Landripet I, Tafro A, Jurković L, Milas G, Štulhofer A. Religious faith and sexual risk taking among adolescents and emerging adults: A meta-analytic review. Soc Sci Med 2021; 291:114488. [PMID: 34662764 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.114488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Revised: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Although there is some evidence that religious faith may offer protection against sexual risk taking in adolescence and emerging adulthood, no attempts have been made to systematically quantify the association. OBJECTIVE Using data from studies conducted in the 2000-2020 period, this meta-analysis aimed to estimate the link between religious faith and four sexual risk-taking behaviors in samples of adolescents and emerging adults. METHODS Five different search systems were used to conduct a systematic literature search in April 2020. Studies that contained quantitative data on religious faith and at least one indicator of sexual risk taking (age at sexual debut, number of sexual partners, condom use at most recent sexual intercourse, and consistent condom use) were searched for. In total, 35 articles published in peer-reviewed journals, in English, were identified. Random-effects meta-analytic approach was used to assess target associations among 41,758 adolescents and emerging adults (Mage = 18.9 years, 37% male). To estimate the effect across the four risk indicators, we employed robust variance estimation (RVE) method. RESULTS We found small associations between religious faith on the one hand and age at sexual debut (r = 0.08, 95% CI = 0.03, 0.12) and the number of sexual partners on the other hand (r = -0.15, 95% CI = -0.21, -0.09). No association with condom use was observed. With all studies included, the overall effect size was 0.11 (95% CI = 0.06, 0.16), indicating a small (protective) role of religious faith in young people's sexual risk taking. CONCLUSIONS Considering the limited role of religious faith in young people's sexual and reproductive health, comprehensive sexuality education remains essential for risk-reduction, even among more religious young people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Goran Koletić
- Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.
| | - Ivan Landripet
- Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Azra Tafro
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Luka Jurković
- Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Goran Milas
- Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Aleksandar Štulhofer
- Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
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Piña-Watson B, Cox K, Neduvelil A. Mexican descent college student risky sexual behaviors and alcohol use: The role of general and cultural based coping with discrimination. J Am Coll Health 2021; 69:82-89. [PMID: 31513462 DOI: 10.1080/07448481.2019.1656214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2018] [Revised: 05/30/2019] [Accepted: 08/12/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
This study investigates cultural and general coping strategies as potential protective or risk factors to risky sexual behaviors (RSBs) and alcohol use in the face of discrimination for Mexican descent college students. Participants: Data collection was conducted from September 2016 to May 2017 and included 796 Mexican descent emerging adults. Methods: Linear regressions were conducted to test main and interaction effects of discrimination, and general and cultural coping strategies on RSBs and alcohol use issues. Results: Higher discrimination experiences were not associated with RSBs or alcohol use issues. Only ethnicity-based coping was found to be a significant moderator to the relationships between discrimination and the outcome variables of RSBs and alcohol use issues. Conclusions: This study has implications for the way mental health clinicians explore the intersection of ethnic identity and coping as a means of understanding the relationship among discrimination, RSBs, and alcohol use issues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandy Piña-Watson
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, USA
| | - Kassidy Cox
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, USA
| | - Ashley Neduvelil
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, USA
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Andersson C. Personalized normative feedback interventions targeting hazardous alcohol use and alcohol-related risky sexual behavior in Swedish university students: A randomized controlled replication trial. Addict Behav Rep 2020; 12:100300. [PMID: 33364309 PMCID: PMC7752654 DOI: 10.1016/j.abrep.2020.100300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2020] [Revised: 08/08/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION This study replicates two US intervention studies using personalized normative feedback (PNF) on alcohol-related risky sexual behavior (RSB). METHODS In a randomized controlled trial, 654 Swedish university students were assigned to an alcohol only intervention, an alcohol-related RSB only intervention, a combined alcohol and alcohol-related RSB intervention, an integrated alcohol and alcohol-related RSB intervention, or control. Follow-up assessments were made at 3 and 6 months post-intervention. RESULTS In comparison to controls, drinks per week were reduced at 3 months in the Alcohol Only, Combined, and Integrated intervention groups. Frequency and quantity of drinking before sex were reduced at 3- and 6-month follow-up for the Sex Only, Combined, and Integrated intervention groups. The Alcohol Only intervention showed significant results on frequency of drinking before sex at 3 months, and on quantity of drinking before sex at 6 months. The Combined intervention had reduced outcomes on alcohol-related consequences and on alcohol-related sexual consequences at both follow-ups. Alcohol Only and Integrated interventions showed effects on both outcomes regarding consequences at 6 months, and the Sex Only group showed effects on sexual consequences at 6 months. CONCLUSIONS It is concluded that PNF interventions offer considerable positive effects, and could be used to reduce alcohol-related RSB in Swedish university students.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claes Andersson
- Faculty of Health and Society, Malmö University, SE205 02 Malmö, Sweden
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Starks TJ, Jones SS, Sauermilch D, Benedict M, Adebayo T, Cain D, Simpson KN. Evaluating the impact of COVID-19: A cohort comparison study of drug use and risky sexual behavior among sexual minority men in the U.S.A. Drug Alcohol Depend 2020; 216:108260. [PMID: 32890975 PMCID: PMC7453210 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2020.108260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sexual minority men who use drugs have high sexual HIV transmission risk. Sexual interactions may also increase COVID-19 risk.This study compared marijuana use, other illegal drugs use (i.e. cocaine/crack, methamphetamine, MDMA/ecstasy, GHB, and ketamine) and sexual behavior with casual partners among sexual minority cismen active on social networking and dating applications before and during the COVID-19 epidemic. METHODS This cohort-control study compared 455 adult respondents (surveyed May 6th to 17th, 2020) and a matched sample selected from 65,707 respondents surveyed pre-COVID. Participants were recruited on social networking and dating applications and completed surveys online. RESULTS The proportion reporting marijuana use declined significantly in the COVID cohort (34.5 % versus 45.7 % pre-COVID,p < .001) as did their illegal drug use (11.0 % versus 22.9 % pre-COVID, p < .001). While the number of casual partners per month was stable, the proportion reporting condomless anal sex with casual partners declined significantly during COVID (26.4 % versus 71.6 % pre-COVID, p < .001). The effect of illegal drug use (excluding marijuana) on number of casual partners per month (aRR = 1.45 pre-COVID versus 2.84, p < .01) and odds of condomless anal sex (aOR = 2.00 pre-COVID versus 5.22, p = .04) were significantly greater in the COVID cohort. CONCLUSIONS While the proportion of participants reporting drug use and condomless anal sex with casual partners declined in the COVID cohort, the association between drug use and sexual behavior was magnified. Sexual minority men who use drugs are significantly more likely to engage in sexual behaviors that place them at risk for HIV and COVID-19 transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyrel J. Starks
- Department of Psychology, Hunter College of the City University of New York (CUNY), New York, NY, USA,Health Psychology and Clinical Science Program, The Graduate Center, of the City University of New York, New York, NY, USA,Corresponding author at: Hunter College, CUNY, 695 Park Ave. 611 Hunter North, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - S. Scott Jones
- Department of Psychology, Hunter College of the City University of New York (CUNY), New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Matthew Benedict
- Department of Psychology, Hunter College of the City University of New York (CUNY), New York, NY, USA
| | - Trinae Adebayo
- Department of Psychology, Hunter College of the City University of New York (CUNY), New York, NY, USA
| | - Demetria Cain
- Department of Psychology, Hunter College of the City University of New York (CUNY), New York, NY, USA
| | - Kit N. Simpson
- College of Health Professions, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
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Nkhoma K, Ahmed A, Alli Z, Sherr L, Harding R. Does sexual behaviour of people with HIV reflect antiretroviral therapy as a preventive strategy? A cross-sectional study among outpatients in Kenya. BMC Public Health 2019; 19:1254. [PMID: 31510974 PMCID: PMC6739960 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-019-7581-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Accepted: 08/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The World Health Organisation (WHO) advocates early initiation of HIV treatment as a prevention strategy among people living with HIV. There is strong evidence for the effectiveness of antiretroviral therapy (ART) as a preventive tool for HIV transmission. We aimed to determine the sexual behaviour of HIV outpatients and assess if it reflects the current preventive strategy for HIV transmission. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study among adult (aged at least 18 years) patients with confirmed HIV diagnosis, and aware of their diagnosis, attending HIV outpatient care in Kenya. Data were gathered through self-report (using validated questionnaires) and file extraction. Multivariate logistic regression assessed the association between sexual risk taking behaviour controlling for gender, HIV clinical stage, HIV treatment status, Tuberculosis (TB) treatment status, and CD4 count. Results We recruited n = 400 participants (n = 280[70%] female gender). The mean age was 39.4 (SD = 9.9) years. The mean CD4 count was 393.7 (SD = 238.2) and ranged from 2 to 1470 cells/mm3. N = 61 (15.64%) were on TB treatment. The majority (n = 366, 91.5%) were on ART. Just over half (n = 202, 50.5%) reported having a sexual partner. Of these n = 33 (16.1%) reported having unprotected sexual intercourse with a person of unknown HIV status in the previous 3 months. Multivariate analysis showed that participants not on ART (HIV treatment) were more likely to report unprotected sexual intercourse compared to those who were on ART (odds ratio .25, 95% CI .09 to .69; P = 0.007). Participants at early stage of HIV infection (stages 1/2) were more likely to report unprotected sexual intercourse compared to participants at advanced HIV infection (stages 3/4) (odds ratio .34, 95% CI .13 to .92; P = 0.035). Males participants were more likely to be involved in sexual risk taking behaviours compared to female participants (odds ratio .36, 95% CI .16 to .82; P = 0.015). TB treatment status, and CD4 count were not significantly associated with sexual risk taking. Conclusion Participants not on ART have more unprotected sexual intercourse than those who are on ART. This calls for the need to scale up coverage and early ART initiation in order to reduce transmission of HIV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kennedy Nkhoma
- Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery and Palliative Care, Cicely Saunders Institute of Palliative Care Policy and Rehabilitation, Denmark Hill Campus, King's College London, Bessemer Road, London, SE5 9PJ, UK.
| | | | - Zipporah Alli
- Kenya Hospices and Palliative Care Association, Nairobi, Kenya
| | | | - Richard Harding
- Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery and Palliative Care, Cicely Saunders Institute of Palliative Care Policy and Rehabilitation, Denmark Hill Campus, King's College London, Bessemer Road, London, SE5 9PJ, UK
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Lewis MA, Rhew IC, Fairlie AM, Swanson A, Anderson J, Kaysen D. Evaluating Personalized Feedback Intervention Framing with a Randomized Controlled Trial to Reduce Young Adult Alcohol-Related Sexual Risk Taking. Prev Sci 2019; 20:310-320. [PMID: 29511966 PMCID: PMC6127012 DOI: 10.1007/s11121-018-0879-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to evaluate personalized feedback intervention (PFI) framing with two web-delivered PFIs aimed to reduce young adult alcohol-related risky sexual behavior (RSB). Combined PFIs typically use an additive approach whereby independent components on drinking and components on RSB are presented without the discussion of the influence of alcohol on RSB. In contrast, an integrated PFI highlights the RSB-alcohol connection by presenting integrated alcohol and RSB components that focus on the role of intoxication as a barrier to risk reduction in sexual situations. In a randomized controlled trial, 402 (53.98% female) sexually active young adults aged 18-25 were randomly assigned to a combined PFI, an integrated PFI, or attention control. All assessment and intervention procedures were web-based. At the 1-month follow-up, those randomly assigned to the integrated condition had a lower likelihood of having any casual sex partners compared to those in the control group. At the 6-month follow-up, the combined condition had a lower likelihood of having any casual sex partners compared to those in the control group. When examining alcohol-related RSB, at the 1-month follow-up, both interventions showed a lower likelihood of any drinking prior to sex compared to the control group. When examining alcohol-related sexual consequences, results showed a reduction in the non-zero count of consequences in the integrated condition compared to the control at the 1-month follow-up. For typical drinks per week, those in the combined condition showed a greater reduction in the non-zero count of drinks than those in the control condition at the 1-month follow-up. While there were no significant differences between the two interventions, the current findings highlight the utility of two efficacious web-based alcohol and RSB interventions among a national sample of at-risk young adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa A Lewis
- Department of Health Behavior and Health Systems, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX, USA.
| | - Isaac C Rhew
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Anne M Fairlie
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Alex Swanson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Judyth Anderson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Debra Kaysen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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11
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Brady JP, Nogg KA, Rozzell KN, Rodriguez-Diaz CE, Horvath KJ, Safren SA, Blashill AJ. Body image and condomless anal sex among Young Latino sexual minority men. Behav Res Ther 2018; 115:129-134. [PMID: 30420133 DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2018.10.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2018] [Revised: 10/29/2018] [Accepted: 10/31/2018] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate body image and condomless anal sex (CAS) among young Latino sexual minority men (SMM)-a population with health disparities in HIV and body image concerns. METHODS Participants were 151 young Latino SMM from the San Diego area who were HIV-negative or unknown. Participants completed a questionnaire online in either English or Spanish, which included body image and sexual behavior items. A binary CAS variable was created based on the number of CAS partners reported (0 vs 1 + over past 3 months). A logistic regression was conducted with body dissatisfaction, appearance investment, and their interaction term entered as predictor variables and CAS as the outcome. RESULTS Of 151 participants, 54 (35.8%) reported no CAS in the past 3 months. Appearance investment, but not body dissatisfaction, was associated with higher odds of CAS. However, a significant interaction indicated that body dissatisfaction was associated with higher odds of CAS when appearance investment was high. CONCLUSIONS Young Latino SMM who are highly invested in, and dissatisfied with, their appearance may be at significantly increased risk for acquiring HIV through elevated odds of CAS. Reducing appearance concerns in this population may lead to reductions in HIV risk behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- John P Brady
- San Diego State University/UC San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, Department of Psychology, 6363 Alvarado Ct., San Diego, CA, 92120, United States.
| | - Kelsey A Nogg
- San Diego State University, Department of Psychology, 5500 Campanile Dr., San Diego, CA, 92182, United States.
| | - Kaitlin N Rozzell
- San Diego State University, Department of Psychology, 5500 Campanile Dr., San Diego, CA, 92182, United States.
| | - Carlos E Rodriguez-Diaz
- University of Puerto Rico-Medical Sciences Campus, Graduate School of Public Health, PO Box 365067, San Juan, PR, 00936-5067, United States.
| | - Keith J Horvath
- University of Minnesota, School of Public Health, 1300 S 2nd St, Room 300 West Bank Office Building, Minneapolis, MN, 55454, United States.
| | - Steven A Safren
- University of Miami, College of Arts & Sciences, P.O. Box 248185, Coral Gables, FL, 33124-0751, United States.
| | - Aaron J Blashill
- San Diego State University/UC San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, Department of Psychology, 6363 Alvarado Ct., San Diego, CA, 92120, United States; San Diego State University, Department of Psychology, 5500 Campanile Dr., San Diego, CA, 92182, United States.
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12
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Masa R, Graham L, Khan Z, Chowa G, Patel L. Food insecurity, sexual risk taking, and sexual victimization in Ghanaian adolescents and young South African adults. Int J Public Health 2018; 64:153-163. [PMID: 30105507 DOI: 10.1007/s00038-018-1155-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2018] [Revised: 07/16/2018] [Accepted: 08/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The objectives of this study were to examine whether food insecurity is associated with sexual risk taking and victimization in young people (aged 16-24); and to investigate whether the relationship of food insecurity with sexual risk taking and victimization is moderated by gender. METHODS Cross-sectional data were obtained in 2014 from a sample of Ghanaian adolescents (n = 773) and in 2015 from young South African adults (n = 823). We used multilevel logistic regression given the study's binary outcome and clustered data. We tested a moderation effect of gender by including an interaction between gender and food insecurity. RESULTS Food insecurity was highly prevalent (72% in Ghana and 83% in South Africa). Food insecurity was significantly associated with unwanted sexual contact among Ghanaian adolescents (OR 1.05, 95% CI 1.02, 1.08) and age-disparate sex among young South African adults (OR 1.03, 95% CI 1.00, 1.06). Results indicated no moderating effect of gender. CONCLUSIONS Our findings underscore the importance of food access on young people's sexual health, regardless of gender. Prevention efforts may be more relevant when integrated with food security interventions that target vulnerable adolescents and young adults, irrespective of gender.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rainier Masa
- School of Social Work, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 325 Pittsboro Street, CB #3550, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA. .,Global Social Development Innovations, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. .,Centre for Social Development in Africa, University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park, South Africa.
| | - Lauren Graham
- Centre for Social Development in Africa, University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park, South Africa
| | - Zoheb Khan
- Centre for Social Development in Africa, University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park, South Africa
| | - Gina Chowa
- School of Social Work, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 325 Pittsboro Street, CB #3550, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.,Global Social Development Innovations, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.,Centre for Social Development in Africa, University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park, South Africa
| | - Leila Patel
- Centre for Social Development in Africa, University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park, South Africa
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13
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Macapagal K, Janssen E, Matson M, Finn PR, Heiman JR. The Impact of Gain- and Loss-Framed Messages on Young Adults' Sexual Decision Making: An Experimental Study. Arch Sex Behav 2017; 46:385-394. [PMID: 26696408 PMCID: PMC4917478 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-015-0679-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2015] [Revised: 11/20/2015] [Accepted: 12/07/2015] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Messages that frame a target behavior in terms of its benefits (gain frame) or costs (loss frame) have been widely and successfully used for health promotion and risk reduction. However, the impact of framed messages on decisions to have sex and sexual risk, as well as moderators of these effects, has remained largely unexplored. We used a computerized laboratory task to test the effects of framed messages about condom use on young adults' sexual decision making. Participants (N = 127) listened to both gain- and loss-framed messages and rated their intentions to have sex with partners who posed a high and low risk for sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The effects of message frame, partner risk, participant gender, ability to adopt the messages, and message presentation order on intentions to have sex were examined. Intentions to have sex with high-risk partners significantly decreased after the loss-framed message, but not after the gain-framed message, and intentions to have sex increased for participants who received the gain-framed message first. Yet, participants found it easier to adopt the gain-framed message. Results suggest that loss-framed messages may be particularly effective in reducing intentions to have sex with partners who might pose a higher risk for STIs, and that message presentation order may alter the relative effectiveness of gain- and loss-framed messages on sexual decision making. Future studies should examine the precise conditions under which gain- and loss-framed messages can promote healthy sexual behaviors and reduce sexual risk behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn Macapagal
- Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 625 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 2700, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA.
- The Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA.
| | - Erick Janssen
- The Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
- Institute for Family and Sexuality Studies, Department of Neurosciences, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Margaret Matson
- Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Peter R Finn
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Julia R Heiman
- The Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
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14
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Widman L, Choukas-Bradley S, Helms SW, Prinstein MJ. Adolescent Susceptibility to Peer Influence in Sexual Situations. J Adolesc Health 2016; 58:323-9. [PMID: 26794431 PMCID: PMC4766019 DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2015.10.253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2015] [Revised: 10/02/2015] [Accepted: 10/29/2015] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE One consistent predictor of adolescents' engagement in sexual risk behavior is their belief that peers are engaging in similar behavior; however, not all youth are equally susceptible to these peer influence effects. Understanding individual differences in susceptibility to peer influence is critical to identifying adolescents at risk for negative health outcomes. The purpose of this project was to identify predictors of susceptibility to peer influence using a novel performance-based measure of sexual risk taking. METHODS Participants were 300 early adolescents (Mage = 12.6 years; 53% female; 44% Caucasian) who completed (1) a pretest assessment of demographics, sexual attitudes, and hypothetical scenarios measuring the likelihood of engaging in sexual risk behavior and (2) a subsequent experimental procedure that simulated an Internet chat room in which youth believed that they were communicating with peers regarding these same hypothetical scenarios. In reality, these "peers" were computer-programmed e-confederates. Changes in responses to the sexual scenarios in the private pretest versus during the public chat room provided a performance-based measure of peer influence susceptibility. RESULTS In total, 78% of youth provided more risky responses in the chat room than those in pretest. The most robust predictor of this change was gender, with boys significantly more susceptible to peer influence than girls. Significant interactions also were noted, with greater susceptibility among boys with later pubertal development and African-American boys. CONCLUSIONS Results confirm that not all youth are equally susceptible to peer influence. Consistent with sexual script theory, boys evidence greater susceptibility to social pressure regarding sexual behavior than girls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Widman
- Department of Psychology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina; Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
| | - Sophia Choukas-Bradley
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Sarah W Helms
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Mitchell J Prinstein
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
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15
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MacDonald TK, McKenna C, Mouck LC. The Person and the Partner: Individual Differences Moderate the Relationship Between Partner Feedback and Condom Use. AIDS Behav 2016; 20 Suppl 1:S185-96. [PMID: 26377328 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-015-1153-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Attachment anxiety is negatively associated with condom use; however, little research has assessed mechanisms underlying this relationship. In two studies we assessed the relationships among attachment orientations, perceived partner rejection, and condom use. In Study 1 we used a survey methodology and found that a measure of perceived partner rejection mediated the relationship between attachment anxiety and reported condom use behavior. In Study 2, women responded to condom use scenarios in which rejection was manipulated. We found a three-way interaction among attachment anxiety, attachment avoidance, and condom use intentions, such that perceived rejection from a potential sexual partner was associated with greater intentions to engage in unprotected sexual intercourse among women high in attachment anxiety and low in attachment avoidance, and among those high in attachment avoidance and low in attachment anxiety.
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16
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Hahn AM, Simons RM, Simons JS. Childhood Maltreatment and Sexual Risk Taking: The Mediating Role of Alexithymia. Arch Sex Behav 2016; 45:53-62. [PMID: 26318149 PMCID: PMC6555481 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-015-0591-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2014] [Revised: 03/23/2015] [Accepted: 05/01/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Childhood maltreatment is a significant predictor of sexual risk taking. The nature of this relationship is not fully understood; however, emotion dysregulation may play an important role. We tested the role of difficulty identifying and describing feelings (i.e., alexithymia) on the relationship between childhood maltreatment and sexual risk taking. Specifically, we hypothesized two mechanisms, one in which alexithymia is related to sexual risk taking via negative urgency and alcohol use and a second one in which alexithymia is related to sexual risk taking via neediness. The participants for this study were 425 sexually active college undergraduates (303 females, 122 males) between the ages of 18 and 25 years. The results of a structural equation model indicated that alexithymia accounted for a significant part of the relationship between child maltreatment and sexual risk behavior. Moreover, the relationship between alexithymia and sexual risk taking was fully accounted for by two separate paths. First, negative urgency and subsequent alcohol use partially mediated the relationship, and the second effect was accounted for by needy interpersonal style. Adverse experiences during childhood can impair emotional functioning and contribute to behavioral and interpersonal dysregulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Austin M Hahn
- Department of Psychology, University of South Dakota, 414 East Clark St., Vermillion, SD, 57069, USA.
| | - Raluca M Simons
- Department of Psychology, University of South Dakota, 414 East Clark St., Vermillion, SD, 57069, USA
| | - Jeffrey S Simons
- Department of Psychology, University of South Dakota, 414 East Clark St., Vermillion, SD, 57069, USA
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17
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Carlson M, Oshri A, Kwon J. Child maltreatment and risk behaviors: The roles of callous/unemotional traits and conscientiousness. Child Abuse Negl 2015; 50:234-43. [PMID: 26233813 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2015.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2015] [Revised: 06/26/2015] [Accepted: 07/01/2015] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Child maltreatment poses significant risk to the development of callous/unemotional traits as well as risk behaviors such as engaging in violence, having sex with strangers, and binge drinking. In the current study, the indirect pathway from child maltreatment to risk behaviors was examined via callous/unemotional traits; whereas the conscientious personality trait was tested as a moderator of this indirect pathway. Young adults and parents (N=361; Mage=19.14, SD=1.44) completed questionnaires on child maltreatment histories, callousness/unemotional traits, personality characteristics, and risk behaviors. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the hypothesized direct, indirect and conditional indirect effects. Findings showed indirect links between the child maltreatment latent factor and physical fighting, having sex with strangers, and binge drinking via callous/unemotional traits. Furthermore, the conscientiousness personality type significantly buffered the connection between callous/unemotional traits and physical fighting, supporting a conditional indirect effects. Callous/unemotional traits are important factors in the underlying mechanism between child maltreatment and risk behaviors among young adults, and conscientiousness serves as a protective factor against violence. Preventive intervention programs and clinicians may benefit from focusing in addressing callous/unemotional traits among youth who report childhood maltreatment experiences as well as targeting conscientiousness as a protective factor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Carlson
- Department of Human Development & Family Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Assaf Oshri
- Department of Human Development & Family Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Josephine Kwon
- Department of Human Development & Family Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
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18
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Whiteman SD, Zeiders KH, Killoren SE, Rodriguez SA, Updegraff KA. Sibling influence on mexican-origin adolescents' deviant and sexual risk behaviors: the role of sibling modeling. J Adolesc Health 2014; 54:587-92. [PMID: 24287013 PMCID: PMC3999229 DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2013.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2013] [Revised: 10/03/2013] [Accepted: 10/03/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE A growing body of research indicates that siblings uniquely influence each other's health risk behaviors during adolescence and young adulthood. Mechanisms underlying these associations, however, are largely unknown because they are rarely tested directly. The present study addressed this gap by examining the role of sibling modeling in explaining changes in Mexican-origin youths' deviant and sexual risk behaviors over time. METHODS The sample included 380 Mexican-origin siblings (older sibling age: M = 21.18, SD = 1.59; younger sibling age: M = 18.19, SD = .46) from (N = 190) families. Participants provided self-reports of their sibling relationship qualities, including modeling, as well as their engagement in deviant and sexual risk-taking behaviors in two home interviews across a 2-year span. RESULTS A series of residualized regression models revealed that younger siblings' perceptions of modeling moderated the links between older siblings' deviant and sexual risk behaviors and younger siblings' subsequent behaviors in those same domains. Specifically, high levels of modeling predicted stronger associations between older siblings' earlier and younger siblings' later risk behaviors controlling for younger siblings' earlier behaviors as well as variables that have been used as proxies for social learning in previous research. CONCLUSIONS Social learning mechanisms, especially modeling, are salient processes through which older siblings transmit norms and expectations regarding participation in health risk behaviors. Future research should continue to explore the ways in which siblings influence each other because such processes are emerging targets for intervention and prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Sue Annie Rodriguez
- T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics, Arizona State University
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19
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Riggs NR, Tate EB, Ridenour TA, Reynolds MD, Zhai ZW, Vanyukov MM, Tarter RE. Longitudinal associations from neurobehavioral disinhibition to adolescent risky sexual behavior in boys: direct and mediated effects through moderate alcohol consumption. J Adolesc Health 2013; 53:465-70. [PMID: 23876782 PMCID: PMC3783650 DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2013.05.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2012] [Revised: 05/31/2013] [Accepted: 05/31/2013] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE This longitudinal study tested the hypothesis that neurobehavioral disinhibition (ND) in childhood, mediated by alcohol use, portends risky sexual behavior (number of sexual partners) in midadolescence. METHODS Participants were 410 adolescent boys. Neurobehavioral disinhibition was assessed at 11.3 years of age. Frequency and quantity of alcohol use on a typical drinking occasion were assessed at 13.4 years of age at first follow-up, and sexual behavior at 16.0 years at second follow-up. RESULTS Quantity of alcohol consumed on a typical drinking occasion, but not frequency of alcohol use, mediated the relation between ND and number of sexual partners. CONCLUSIONS These findings indicate that number of sexual partners in midadolescence is predicted by individual differences in boys' psychological self-regulation during childhood and moderate alcohol consumption in early adolescence, and that ND may be a potential target for multi-outcome public health interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathaniel R. Riggs
- Colorado State University Department of Human Development and Family Studies
| | - Eleanor B. Tate
- University of Southern California Department of Preventive Medicine, Institute for Prevention Research
| | - Ty A. Ridenour
- University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy, Center for Education and Drug Abuse Research
| | - Maureen D. Reynolds
- University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy, Center for Education and Drug Abuse Research
| | - Zu W. Zhai
- University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy, Center for Education and Drug Abuse Research
| | - Michael M. Vanyukov
- University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy, Center for Education and Drug Abuse Research
| | - Ralph E. Tarter
- University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy, Center for Education and Drug Abuse Research
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20
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Cavanaugh CE. Brief report: the influence of posttraumatic stress on unprotected sex among sexually active adolescent girls and boys involved in the child welfare system of the United States. J Adolesc 2013; 36:835-7. [PMID: 24011099 DOI: 10.1016/j.adolescence.2013.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2013] [Revised: 07/02/2013] [Accepted: 07/05/2013] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
While posttraumatic stress (PTS) has been positively associated with risky sexual behavior (RSB) among adult women, there is a paucity of research examining PTS in relation to RSB among adolescent girls and boys. This study aimed to replicate findings among adult women with sexually active adolescents (179 females and 106 males) involved in a national study of children in the United States child welfare system. After controlling for age and the complex study design, sexually active adolescent girls with clinically significant PTS symptoms were more than seven times more likely than those without such symptoms to report unprotected intercourse. In contrast, sexually active adolescent boys with clinically significant PTS symptoms were less likely than those without such symptoms to report unprotected intercourse. Research is needed to 1) understand the mechanisms linking PTS and RSB, 2) further explore gender differences reported here, and 3) inform RSB interventions in this high-risk population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtenay E Cavanaugh
- Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, 311 North Fifth Street, Camden, NJ 08102, United States.
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21
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Livingston JA, Bay-Cheng LY, Hequembourg AL, Testa M, Downs JS. Mixed Drinks and Mixed Messages: Adolescent Girls' Perspectives on Alcohol and Sexuality. Psychol Women Q 2013; 37:38-50. [PMID: 23833392 PMCID: PMC3699882 DOI: 10.1177/0361684312464202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Experimentation with alcohol and sexuality is a normative aspect of adolescent development. Yet both present distinct risks to adolescent females and are especially problematic when they intersect. Although youth are often cautioned about the dangers associated with having sex and using alcohol, popular entertainment media frequently depict the combination of alcohol and sexuality as carefree fun. It is unclear how adolescent females interpret these contradictory messages in their everyday lives. Focus group interviews were used to explore young women's understandings of the relation between alcohol and sexuality. Young women, ages 14-17 years (N = 97, 61% White), and their mothers were recruited through advertisements in local newspapers to participate in separate, simultaneous focus group interviews. Only data from the 15 daughters' groups are presented here. Qualitative analysis revealed that participants recognized the risks associated with combining alcohol and sex, yet they also perceived sexual advantages to drinking alcohol. Advantages included facilitating social and sexual interactions and excusing unsanctioned sexual behavior. Alcohol was also seen as increasing the likelihood of sexual regret and coercion through impaired judgment and self-advocacy abilities. Educational and prevention efforts need to consider adolescent developmental and social needs, as well as the influences of the larger cultural context in which youth function.
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