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Carol Roye, EdD, CPNP, Hunter College - City University of New York, 209 Bear Ridge Road, Pleasantville, NY 10570, 212-481-4332, croye1@earthlink.net, Paula L Perlmutter, MPH, Hunter College - Center on AIDS, Drugs, and Community Health, 39 Donna Road, Framingham, MA 01701, and Arlene Spark, EdD, RD, Hunter College, 425 E. 25th Street, New york, NY 10010.
Background: Young urban women are plagued by several epidemics with behavioral etiologies, notably obesity and HIV/AIDS. These analyses explored whether there is a subset of young women who take action to protect their health across these domains. Methods: Data were collected at Planned Parenthood in NYC, during intake assessment for a randomized clinical trial of HIV-prevention interventions. Subjects were 15 – 21 year-old Black and Latina female adolescents who use hormonal contraceptives (N = 331). The questionnaire included validated questions about sexuality and nutrition. Subjects completed the questionnaire using Computer Administered Self Interview with Audio (ACASI). Results: Overall, nutrition in this population was poor. Twelve percent don’t drink milk at all, and only 14% drink low fat or skim milk. Fried foods are consumed at home at least weekly by 85% of the sample, 42% of whom eat these foods 3 or more times per week. Similarly, 85% eat at fast food restaurants a minimum of once per week, 40% eat there 3 or more times per week. We identified a subset of young women who engage in ostensibly health-protective behaviors by drinking diet soda (34%) and taking vitamins (22%). A chi-square suggests that these women were significantly more likely to have used a condom at last intercourse (Fisher’s exact test = .003 and .08 for diet soda and vitamins, respectively). Recommendations: Research should investigate the characteristics of young women who engage in risk reduction across behaviors. Such research could be helpful in developing risk reduction interventions for multiple behaviors.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Health Behavior,
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
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.