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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Christine M. Markham, MA, Center for Health Promotion and Prevention Research, University of Texas-Houston, 7000 Fannin, Ste 2610C, Houston, TX 77030, 713 500 9646, cmarkham@sph.uth.tmc.edu, Susan Tortolero, PhD, Center for Health Promotion and Prevention Research, University of Texas - Houston, 7000 Fannin, Ste 2622, Houston, TX 77030, S. Liliana Escobar-Chaves, MPH, Center for Health Promotion Research and Development, University of Texas School of Public Health, 7000 Fannin, Ste 2610E, Houston, TX 77030, and Guy Parcel, PhD, Center for Health Promotion Research and Development, University of Texas Houston, 7000 Fannin, Ste 2630, School of Public Health, Houston, TX 77030.
National data indicate that youth attending alternative education schools engage in sexual risk-taking behavior at higher rates than youth attending regular high schools, placing them at increased risk for HIV/STD infection. Previous studies indicate that family connectedness is a protective factor against sexual risk-taking, however few studies have been conducted among high-risk youth who are more likely to live in dysfunctional family settings or to be disengaged from parental influence. This study presents data from 480 students attending alternative schools in Houston, Texas. The population was 56.7% female, 56.3% Hispanic, 33.1% Black, and 41% aged between 15 and 16. Seventy-one percent reported ever having sex; of these, 73% reported being currently sexually active, 28.9% reported ever having been pregnant/impregnated a partner. A 14-item scale was used to measure family connectedness (Cronbach’s alpha 0.82). Logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between family connectedness and sexual behavior. Females who perceived higher levels of family connectedness were significantly less likely to ever have sex (OR 0.96 per unit increase; CI 0.93, 0.99) and to have initiated sex before age 15 (OR 0.96 per unit increase; CI 0.93, 0.99). Male students who perceived higher levels of family connectedness were more likely to report condom use (OR 0.95 per unit increase; CI 0.91, 1.00) and less likely to have impregnated a partner (OR 0.91 per unit increase; CI 0.86, 0.97). Inclusion of activities that facilitate positive parent-child relationships may assist practitioners in developing more effective HIV/STD prevention programs for alternative school youth.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Sexual Risk Behavior, Family Involvement
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: NA
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.