At-risk youth is a label that has historically been used to guide public health issues among the adolescent population. This focus on risk factors has proven to be ineffective; as a result, rather than focusing on the negative, there has been a drive in recent years to recognize and measure the protective factors, or assets, of youth in our society. This presentation will discuss the ability of assets questions to predict sexual behavior, including contraceptive use, among a special population of adolescent females. The Greenwood Girls' Health Project is an ongoing program to develop, implement, and evaluate a health education curriculum for females incarcerated at a juvenile justice facility. As part of the needs assessment, the residents (N=48) completed a shortened version of the South Carolina Health Attitudes Behavior Survey, a measure that combines questions from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey with questions designed to measure assets. A factor analysis of the assets scale found three factors with a coefficient alpha at .80 or above: relationships with family, peer norms, and family rules. Following the completion of the factor analysis, regression models were developed using questions assessing risk, demographics, and assets. Positive peer norms and clear family rules were predictors of frequent condom use (p<.05).
Learning Objectives: 1. At the conclusion of this presentation, participants will be able to list the predictors of risky sexual behavior in this adolescent population. 2. At the conclusion of this presentation, participants will be able to identify assets-based questions. 3. At the conclusion of this presentation, the participants will be able to describe the differences between questions based on risks and questions based on assets.
Keywords: Women's Health, Special Populations
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.