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- HIV (6)
- Men who have sex with men (6)
- Social support (5)
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- Community violence (3)
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- Depression (3)
- Drug use (3)
- HIV/AIDS (3)
- Social networks (3)
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- Violence (3)
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- Adherence (2)
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- African American females (2)
- African American girls (2)
- African-American (2)
- Delinquency (2)
- HIV risk (2)
- HIV risks (2)
- Health outcomes (2)
- Home visiting (2)
- MSM (2)
- Medication adherence (2)
- Religiosity (2)
- Self-efficacy (2)
- Sexual sensation seeking (2)
- Stigma (2)
- API (1)
- Adolescence (1)
Articles 1 - 30 of 36
Full-Text Articles in Social Work
The Relationship Between Religion, Substance Misuse, And Mental Health Among Black Youth, Dexter R. Voisin
The Relationship Between Religion, Substance Misuse, And Mental Health Among Black Youth, Dexter R. Voisin
Faculty Scholarship
Studies suggest that religion is a protective factor for substance misuse and mental health concerns among Black/African American youth despite reported declines in their religious involvement. However, few studies have investigated the associations among religion, substance misuse, and mental health among Black youth. Informed by Critical Race Theory, we evaluated the correlations between gender, depression, substance misuse, and unprotected sex on mental health. Using multiple linear regression, we assessed self-reported measures of drug use and sex, condom use, belief in God, and religiosity on mental health among a sample of Black youth (N = 638) living in a large midwestern …
The Longitudinal Relationship Between Broken Windows And Sexual Behaviors Among African American Girls In Juvenile Detention: The Moderating Effects Of Sexual Sensation Seeking And Parental Monitoring, Dexter R. Voisin
Faculty Scholarship
Objective: Broken windows theory has been applied in public health to understand how neighborhood disadvantage contributes to health risk and disparities. This longitudinal study examined the relationship between a broken windows index (i.e., a proxy for neighborhood disadvantage) and sexual behaviors and whether sexual sensation-seeking behaviors and parental monitoring moderated that relationship. Method: Participants were 188 African American adolescent girls incarcerated in a short-term detention facility in Atlanta, GA. Participants completed audio computer-assisted self-interviews at baseline, 3, and 6 months; interviews assessed neighborhood disadvantage, sexual risk behaviors, sexual sensation seeking, parental monitoring, and demographics. Results: Longitudinal findings indicate that the …
Examining The Causal Impact Of Prenatal Home Visiting On Birth Outcomes: A Propensity Score Analysis, Elizabeth R. Anthony, Robert L. Fischer
Examining The Causal Impact Of Prenatal Home Visiting On Birth Outcomes: A Propensity Score Analysis, Elizabeth R. Anthony, Robert L. Fischer
Faculty Scholarship
Objectives: In Ohio, African American babies die at 2.5–3 times the rate of White babies. Preterm birth and low birth weight are the leading causes of infant mortality. Home visiting is an evidence-based strategy for serving low-income pregnant women; however, there are relatively few rigorous studies examining its effect on birth outcomes. Methods: This study uses a propensity score technique to estimate the causal effect of participation in home visiting on prematurity and low birth weight among a low-income, predominantly African American sample (N = 26,814). Results: We found that participation in home visiting significantly reduced the odds of experiencing …
Correlates Of Depression Among Black Girls Exposed To Violence, Dexter R. Voisin
Correlates Of Depression Among Black Girls Exposed To Violence, Dexter R. Voisin
Faculty Scholarship
Depression rates for youth remanded to juvenile detention is double that of the general population and Black girls are especially vulnerable. A dearth of literature analyzes the factors that are correlated with depression among system-involved Black girls, ages 12–17 years old. We utilized personal agency to examine the relationship between risk factors (i.e., abuse history, and fear of condom negotiation) and protective factors (i.e., condom self-efficacy, and perceived social support) that might correlate with depression among Black girls exposed to violence. Findings indicate that fear of condom negotiation, abuse history and low condom self-efficacy are correlated with depressive symptomology while …
Conceptualizing The Effects Of Continuous Traumatic Violence On Hiv Continuum Of Care Outcomes For Young Black Men Who Have Sex With Men In The United States, Dexter R. Voisin
Conceptualizing The Effects Of Continuous Traumatic Violence On Hiv Continuum Of Care Outcomes For Young Black Men Who Have Sex With Men In The United States, Dexter R. Voisin
Faculty Scholarship
The United States (US) is on track to achieve the 90-90-90 targets set forth by UNAIDS and the National HIV/AIDS strategy, yet significant racial disparities in HIV care outcomes remain, particularly for young Black men who have sex with men (YBMSM). Research has demonstrated that various types of violence are key aspects of syndemics that contribute to disparities in HIV risk. However, little research has looked collectively at cumulative violent experiences and how those might affect HIV treatment and care outcomes. Drawing on extant literature and theoretical underpinnings of syndemics, we provide a conceptual model that highlights how continuous traumatic …
Racial And Ethnic Comparison Of Ecological Risk Factors And Youth Outcomes: A Test Of The Desensitization Hypothesis, Dexter R. Voisin
Racial And Ethnic Comparison Of Ecological Risk Factors And Youth Outcomes: A Test Of The Desensitization Hypothesis, Dexter R. Voisin
Faculty Scholarship
Minority youth, because of structural, ecological, and societal inequalities, are at heightened risk of reporting depression and experiencing negative sanctions associated with delinquency. Sociological theories suggest that greater exposure to ecological risk factors at the peer, family, school and community levels are associated with elevated rates of youth depression and delinquency. Desensitization theory posits that repeated exposures to ongoing stressors result in a numbing of psychological and behavioral responses. Thus, it remains unclear whether racial/ethnic differences exist with regards to how contextual stressors correlate with depression and delinquency. Using a sample of 616 Black, 687 Latinx, and 1,318 White youth, …
Art Adherence Among Men Who Have Sex With Men Living With Hiv: Key Challenges And Opportunities, Dexter R. Voisin
Art Adherence Among Men Who Have Sex With Men Living With Hiv: Key Challenges And Opportunities, Dexter R. Voisin
Faculty Scholarship
Purpose of Review: In the USA, gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM) are disproportionately affected by HIV. High levels of adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) can dramatically improve outcomes for persons living with HIV and reduce the risk of HIV transmission to others. Yet, there are numerous individual, social, and structural barriers to optimal ART adherence. Many of these factors disproportionately impact Black MSM and may contribute to their poorer rates of ART adherence. This review synthesizes the key challenges and intervention opportunities to improve ART adherence among MSM in the USA. Recent Findings: Key …
Peer Victimization And Illicit Drug Use Among African American Adolescents In Chicago: The Moderating Effects Of Religious Affiliation, Dexter R. Voisin
Peer Victimization And Illicit Drug Use Among African American Adolescents In Chicago: The Moderating Effects Of Religious Affiliation, Dexter R. Voisin
Faculty Scholarship
Objective: Investigators have examined the moderating effects of young people’s relationships with parents, teachers, and peers on victimization and on adverse outcomes such as drug use. However, the moderating influence of religious affiliation on the association between peer victimization and illicit drug use, the focus of this paper, has seldom been examined. Method: Participants were 638 low-income African American youth ages 12–22 (mean age = 15.8; 54% female and 46% male) in Chicago, IL. We conducted hierarchical logistic regression analyses to examine the moderating effect of religious affiliation on the relationship between peer victimization and illicit drug use. Results: Youths …
Social Networks Moderate The Syndemic Effect Of Psychosocial And Structural Factors On Hiv Risk Among Young Black Transgender Women And Men Who Have Sex With Men, Dexter R. Voisin
Social Networks Moderate The Syndemic Effect Of Psychosocial And Structural Factors On Hiv Risk Among Young Black Transgender Women And Men Who Have Sex With Men, Dexter R. Voisin
Faculty Scholarship
The interaction between the cumulative effect of psychosocial and structural factors (i.e. syndemic effect) and social networks among young Black transgender women and men who have sex with men (YBTM) remains understudied. A representative cohort of 16–29 year-old YBTM (n = 618) was assessed for syndemic factors [i.e. substance use; community violence; depression; poverty; justice system involvement (JSI)], social network characteristics, condomless anal sex (CAS), group sex (GS), and HIV-infection. The syndemic index significantly increased the odds of CAS, GS, and HIV-infection, and these effects were moderated by network characteristics. Network JSI buffered the effect on CAS, romantic network members …
Exposure To Community Violence And Substance Use Among Black Men Who Have Sex With Men: Examining The Role Of Psychological Distress And Criminal Justice Involvement, Dexter R. Voisin
Faculty Scholarship
Young Black MSM (YBMSM) are disproportionately affected by violence, criminal justice involvement, and other structural factors that also increase vulnerability to HIV. This study examined associations between exposure to community violence (ECV) and substance use, psychological distress, and criminal justice involvement (CJI) among YBMSM in Chicago, IL. Respondent driven sampling was used to recruit a sample of 618 YBMSM (aged 16–29) from the South Side of Chicago between June 2013 and July 2014. Weighted logistic regression assessed the direct effects of ECV, CJI, and psychological distress on substance use outcomes. Indirect effects were assessed via path analysis with mean and …
A Longitudinal Examination Of Factors Associated With Network Bridging Among Ymsm: Implications For Hiv Prevention, Dexter R. Voisin
A Longitudinal Examination Of Factors Associated With Network Bridging Among Ymsm: Implications For Hiv Prevention, Dexter R. Voisin
Faculty Scholarship
Social-environmental factors may be associated with social network stability, which has implications for HIV acquisition. However, the link between social-environmental factors, network composition and HIV risk has not been examined previously among a city-population based sample of young Black men who have sex with Men (YBMSM). Respondent driven sampling was used to recruit a cohort of 618 YMBSM. Respondents were evaluated at baseline, 9 and 18 months beginning June 2013. A logistic regression model was used to assess the relationship between bridging (i.e. having non-redundant contacts in one’s network, indicating network instability) and social-environmental factors and HIV risk factors between …
The Relationship Between Black And Gay Community Involvement And Hiv-Related Risk Behaviors Among Black Men Who Have Sex With Men, Dexter R. Voisin
The Relationship Between Black And Gay Community Involvement And Hiv-Related Risk Behaviors Among Black Men Who Have Sex With Men, Dexter R. Voisin
Faculty Scholarship
Black gay men must navigate identities and stigmas related to being gay and Black, and report higher HIV incidence relative to their White male counterparts although they report lower rates of drug use and risky sexual behaviors. This study examined whether closeness to the gay or Black community correlated with HIV-related risk and protective behaviors. Data were drawn from uConnect, a population-based cohort study of young Black men who have sex with men (YBMSM) on Chicago's South Side. The sample consists of 618 Black MSM ranging in age from 16 to 29. Cross-sectional measures for this study include Black and …
Pathways To Delinquency And Substance Use Among African American Youth: Does Future Orientation Mediate The Effects Of Peer Norms And Parental Monitoring?, Dexter R. Voisin
Pathways To Delinquency And Substance Use Among African American Youth: Does Future Orientation Mediate The Effects Of Peer Norms And Parental Monitoring?, Dexter R. Voisin
Faculty Scholarship
The following study assessed whether future orientation mediated the effects of peer norms and parental monitoring on delinquency and substance use among 549 African American adolescents. Structural equation modeling computed direct and indirect (meditational) relationships between parental monitoring and peer norms through future orientation. Parental monitoring significantly correlated with lower delinquency through future orientation (B = −.05, standard deviation =.01, p <.01). Future orientation mediated more than quarter (27.70%) of the total effect of parental monitoring on delinquency. Overall findings underscore the importance of strengthening resilience factors for African American youth, especially those who live in low-income communities.
Project Ngage: Results Of A Randomized Controlled Trial Of A Dyadic Network Support Intervention To Retain Young Black Men Who Have Sex With Men In Hiv Care, Dexter R. Voisin
Project Ngage: Results Of A Randomized Controlled Trial Of A Dyadic Network Support Intervention To Retain Young Black Men Who Have Sex With Men In Hiv Care, Dexter R. Voisin
Faculty Scholarship
HIV-positive young black MSM (YBMSM) experience poor outcomes along the HIV care continuum, yet few interventions have been developed expressly for YBMSM retention in care. Project nGage was a randomized controlled trial conducted across five Chicago clinics with 98 HIV-positive YBMSM aged 16–29 between 2012 and 2015. The intervention used a social network elicitation approach with index YBMSM (n = 45) to identify and recruit a support confidant (SC) to the study. Each index-SC dyad met with a social worker to improve HIV-care knowledge, activate dyadic social support, and develop a retention in care plan. Each index and SC also …
A Longitudinal Analysis Of Antiretroviral Adherence Among Young Black Men Who Have Sex With Men, Dexter R. Voisin
A Longitudinal Analysis Of Antiretroviral Adherence Among Young Black Men Who Have Sex With Men, Dexter R. Voisin
Faculty Scholarship
Purpose: Young black men who have sex with men (YBMSM) experience poorer antiretroviral therapy (ART) medication adherence relative to their white counterparts. However, few studies have longitudinally examined factors that may correlate with various classifications of ART adherence among this population, which was the primary aim of this study. Methods: Project nGage was a randomized controlled trial conducted across five Chicago clinics from 2012 to 2015. Survey and medical records data were collected at baseline and 3- and 12-month periods to assess whether psychological distress, HIV stigma, substance use, family acceptance, social support, and self-efficacy predicted ART medication adherence among …
Involvement In The Juvenile Justice System For African American Adolescents: Examining Associations With Behavioral Health Problems, Dexter R. Voisin
Involvement In The Juvenile Justice System For African American Adolescents: Examining Associations With Behavioral Health Problems, Dexter R. Voisin
Faculty Scholarship
While researchers have found that African American youth experience higher levels of juvenile justice involvement at every system level (arrest, sentencing, and incarceration) relative to their other ethnic counterparts, few studies have explored how juvenile justice involvement and number of contacts might be correlated with this broad range of problems. A convenience sample of 638 African American adolescents living in predominantly low-income, urban communities participated in a survey related to juvenile justice involvement. Major findings using logistic regression models indicated that adolescents who reported juvenile justice system involvement versus no involvement were 2.3 times as likely to report mental health …
The Relationship Between Life Stressors And Drug And Sexual Behaviors Among A Population-Based Sample Of Young Black Men Who Have Sex With Men In Chicago, Dexter R. Voisin
The Relationship Between Life Stressors And Drug And Sexual Behaviors Among A Population-Based Sample Of Young Black Men Who Have Sex With Men In Chicago, Dexter R. Voisin
Faculty Scholarship
Younger Black men who have sex with men (YBMSM) have the highest rates of HIV incidence in the U.S. and are also exposed to high life stressors (e.g., unemployment, incarceration, and exposure to communality). This study assessed whether life stressors were related to drug use and sexual risk behaviors among a representative sample of YBMSM. The South Side of Chicago and selected adjacent suburbs represents the most populous contiguous Black community in the U.S. Over 10% of the estimated YBMSM population in this geographic region were sampled. Major findings indicated that higher life stress was significantly associated with greater odds …
Marijuana Use Among Young Black Men Who Have Sex With Men And The Hiv Care Continuum: Findings From The Uconnect Cohort, Dexter R. Voisin
Marijuana Use Among Young Black Men Who Have Sex With Men And The Hiv Care Continuum: Findings From The Uconnect Cohort, Dexter R. Voisin
Faculty Scholarship
Background: Young Black men who have sex with men (YBMSM) are at highest risk for HIV seroconversion in the United States. Successful movement through the HIV care continuum is an important intervention for limiting onwards HIV transmission. Objective: Little data exists on how substances most commonly used by YBMSM, such as marijuana, are related to the HIV continuum, which represents the primary aim of this study. Methods: A cohort of YBMSM (n = 618) was generated through respondent-driven sampling. Frequency of marijuana use and marijuana use as a sex-drug were assessed across the HIV care continuum using weighted logistic regression …
Multiple Dimensions Of Stigma And Health Related Factors Among Young Black Men Who Have Sex With Men, Dexter R. Voisin
Multiple Dimensions Of Stigma And Health Related Factors Among Young Black Men Who Have Sex With Men, Dexter R. Voisin
Faculty Scholarship
This study is among the first to examine the association between multiple domains of HIV-related stigma and health-related correlates including viral load and medication adherence among young Black men who have sex with men (N = 92). Individual logistic regressions were done to examine the hypothesized relationships between HIV-related stigma and various health and psychosocial outcomes. In addition to examining total stigma, we also examined four domains of HIV stigma. Findings revealed the various domains of stigma had differential effects on health-related outcomes. Individuals who reported higher levels of total stigma and personalized stigma were less likely to be virally …
Psychological Distress, Drug Use, Sexual Risks And Medication Adherence Among Young Hiv-Positive Black Men Who Have Sex With Men: Exposure To Community Violence Matters, Dexter R. Voisin
Faculty Scholarship
In the USA, Black males are disproportionately affected by community violence and HIV. The aim of this study was to assess whether exposures to community violence are related to psychological distress, drug use, sexual risk behaviors, and medication adherence among a sample of HIV-positive young Black men who had sex with men (YBMSM). Data are from 98 YBMSM ages 18–29 years recruited from Chicago who completed measures on demographics, exposures to community violence, psychological distress, drug use, condomless anal intercourse, and medication adherence. Rates of exposure to community violence were high and youth reported victimization and witnessing numerous types of …
Assessing The Deployment Of Home Visiting: Learning From A State-Wide Survey Of Home Visiting Programs, Robert L. Fischer, Elizabeth R. Anthony, Nina Lalich, Paul Bakaki, Siran Koroukian-Hajinazarian
Assessing The Deployment Of Home Visiting: Learning From A State-Wide Survey Of Home Visiting Programs, Robert L. Fischer, Elizabeth R. Anthony, Nina Lalich, Paul Bakaki, Siran Koroukian-Hajinazarian
Faculty Scholarship
Objectives: Large-scale planning for health and human services programming is required to inform effective public policy as well as deliver services to meet community needs. The present study demonstrates the value of collecting data directly from deliverers of home visiting programs across a state. This study was conducted in response to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which requires states to conduct a needs assessment of home visiting programs for pregnant women and young children to receive federal funding. In this paper, we provide a descriptive analysis of a needs assessment of home visiting programs in Ohio. Methods: All …
A Synthesis Of 20 Years Of Research On Sexual Risk Taking Among Asian/Pacific Islander Men Who Have Sex With Men In Western Countries, Dexter R. Voisin
A Synthesis Of 20 Years Of Research On Sexual Risk Taking Among Asian/Pacific Islander Men Who Have Sex With Men In Western Countries, Dexter R. Voisin
Faculty Scholarship
Over the past two decades, there has emerged a body of literature documenting a number of risk factors associated with Asian/Pacific Islander men who have sex with men’s unsafe sexual behaviors. This study aims to systematically review existing empirical studies and synthesize research results into a social–ecological framework using a mixed research synthesis. Empirical research articles published in peer-reviewed journals between January 1990 and June 2013 were identified in six databases, including PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Social Work Abstract, CINAL, and Web of Knowledge. Both quantitative and qualitative studies were included. Two analysts independently reviewed the articles, and findings were …
Correlates Of Gang Involvement And Health-Related Factors Among African American Females With A Detention History, Dexter R. Voisin
Correlates Of Gang Involvement And Health-Related Factors Among African American Females With A Detention History, Dexter R. Voisin
Faculty Scholarship
Background: Prior studies have assessed relationships between gang membership and health-related factors. However, the existing literature has largely failed to consider how individual and broader social contextual factors might be related to such gang involvement among African American females. Thus, the aim of the present study was to identify empirically driven correlates of gang involvement and then better understand the relationship between gang membership and health-related behaviors for African American females, after controlling for covariates of gang involvement. Methods: Data were collected from a convenience sample of detained African American adolescents females, between the ages of 13-17, currently incarcerated in …
Dynamic Social Support Networks Of Younger Black Men Who Have Sex With Men With New Hiv Infection, Dexter R. Voisin
Dynamic Social Support Networks Of Younger Black Men Who Have Sex With Men With New Hiv Infection, Dexter R. Voisin
Faculty Scholarship
Rising rates of HIV infection among younger black men who have sex with men (YBMSM) in the USA have generated a public health emergency. Living with HIV requires deep and persistent social support often available only from close confidants. Enlisting endogenous support network members into the care of HIV-infected YBMSM may help shape sustainable supportive environments, leading to long-term improvements in mental and HIV-specific health outcomes. The present study examined trends in support network change over time after new HIV diagnoses among 14 YBMSM. Participants completed a social network survey that utilized sociograms to record support confidants (SCs) preceding HIV …
Testing Pathways Linking Exposure To Community Violence And Sexual Behaviors Among African American Youth, Dexter R. Voisin
Testing Pathways Linking Exposure To Community Violence And Sexual Behaviors Among African American Youth, Dexter R. Voisin
Faculty Scholarship
Exposure to community violence and HIV sexual risks are two major public health concerns among youth. This study tests various pathways linking exposure to community violence and sexual behaviors among African American adolescents. Using a sample of 563 (61 % females) African American youth attending high school we examined whether problematic psychological symptoms, low school engagement, and/or negative perceptions of peer norms about safer sex functioned as pathways linking exposure to community violence and sexual behaviors. Major findings indicated that, for boys, the relationship between exposure to community violence and sexual début and sexual risk behaviors were linked by aggression. …
Brief Research Report: Sociodemographic Factors Associated With Hiv Status Among African American Women In Washington, Dc, Dexter R. Voisin
Brief Research Report: Sociodemographic Factors Associated With Hiv Status Among African American Women In Washington, Dc, Dexter R. Voisin
Faculty Scholarship
Introduction: African American women living in Washington, DC have one of the highest Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) incidence rates in the US. However, this population has been understudied, especially as it relates to factors associated with HIV status. Methods: This cross-sectional study examined sociodemographic factors that were associated with having a negative or positive HIV status among a sample of 115 African American women between the ages of 24 and 44 years. We assessed such factors as age, education, sexual orientation, household income, sources of income, number of children, length of residency tenure in Washington, DC, and level of HIV-prevention …
Project Ngage: Network Supported Hiv Care Engagement For Younger Black Men Who Have Sex With Men And Transgender Persons, Dexter R. Voisin
Project Ngage: Network Supported Hiv Care Engagement For Younger Black Men Who Have Sex With Men And Transgender Persons, Dexter R. Voisin
Faculty Scholarship
Background: Young Black men who have sex with men and transgender persons (YBMSMT) aged 13-29 carry the nation's highest burden of new HIV infections. Studies indicate that YBMSMT have poor retention in care, which is associated with reduced medication adherence and increased virologic failure. Objective: Project nGage is a randomized controlled (RCT) trial evaluating the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a brief, dyadic intervention designed to promote adherence to HIV primary care in safety-net clinics. Network visualization is used to identify and engage a support confidant (SC) from participants' social networks. A social work interventionist then meets with the SC …
A Longitudinal Examination Of Risk And Protective Factors Associated With Drug Use And Unsafe Sex Among Young African American Females, Dexter R. Voisin
A Longitudinal Examination Of Risk And Protective Factors Associated With Drug Use And Unsafe Sex Among Young African American Females, Dexter R. Voisin
Faculty Scholarship
This study prospectively examined associations among multiple theoretically informed risk (e.g., depression, sexual sensation seeking, and risky peers norms) and protective factors (e.g., social support, STI knowledge, and refusal to have sex self efficacy) on unsafe sex among 715 African American adolescent females aged 15-21 who participated in an STI/HIV prevention intervention. Generalized estimating equation models were used to assess associations between baseline characteristics and sexual risk over a 12-month follow-up period. Overall risk in this population was high: at baseline, nearly a third of women reported sex under the influence of alcohol or substances; ≥ 2 partners for vaginal …
A Longitudinal Examination Of The Relationship Between Sexual Sensation Seeking And Sti-Related Risk Factors Among African American Females, Dexter R. Voisin
A Longitudinal Examination Of The Relationship Between Sexual Sensation Seeking And Sti-Related Risk Factors Among African American Females, Dexter R. Voisin
Faculty Scholarship
Sexual sensation seeking has been correlated with STI-related risk factors in numerous cross sectional studies. However, no current studies have examined whether sexual sensation seeking is longitudinally related to a broad spectrum of STI-related factors such as consistent condom use, number of sexual partners, frequency of partner sexual communication, self-efficacy to refuse sex, and fear of condom negotiation. We explored these relationships over a 12-month period among a sample of 715 African American females attending three STI clinics in Georgia that were recruited into a larger randomized clinic intervention study. Utilizing A-CASI technology to assess all self-reported measures and employing …
Exposure To Verbal Parental Aggression And Sexual Activity Among Low Income African American Youth, Dexter R. Voisin
Exposure To Verbal Parental Aggression And Sexual Activity Among Low Income African American Youth, Dexter R. Voisin
Faculty Scholarship
The study examined whether witnessing verbal parental aggression (VPA) was related to sexual activity among mostly low income African American youth, and whether psychological symptoms mediated this relationship. Five hundred and sixty-three African American high school adolescents (ages 13-19) completed self-administered questionnaires, which assessed demographics, psychological problems (e.g., depression, anxiety, aggression and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms), witnessing VPA, and sexual activity. Participants who witnessed high versus no VPA were 2 times more likely to report sexual activity. This relationship was mediated by aggression for males and females, and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms for females only. Youth service providers should be …