Association between individual-, peer- and network-characteristics and receipt of friendship and risk-behavior related social support among Latino adolescents

Background: Among adolescents, prior research has examined the influence of social support on HIV-related risk behaviors. However, less studied are individual- and network-level factors that may be associated with receipt of HIV risk reduction-related social support. Methods: Using data from a social network inventory administered to Latino adolescents, separate multivariate logistic regression models were constructed to examine associations between individual - and peer-network factors and receipt of (1) friendship and (2) risk reduction social support. Results: Fifty three adolescents reported on 179 network members (average network size=3.4; median network density score=5 and there was evidence of gender homophily, p <0.001). In multivariate analysis, being female, communicating daily with network members, and drinking together were positively associated with receipt of friendship-based social support. Meeting peers ‘on the street' and larger network size were inversely associated with receipt of friendship-based social support. Weekly communication with network members was associated with increased likelihood of receiving risk behavior-related social support. Index participants who were no longer in high school, met network members in non-school based settings and consumed alcohol on a weekly basis were less likely to report receipt of risk behavior-related social support. Conclusion: A more nuanced understanding of factors that may influence receipt of social support is critical to the design of effective peer-based HIV/AIDS interventions for adolescents. These findings suggest that while greater communication within networks increases receipt of social support, the behaviors of individuals as well as the settings in which networks are formed may negatively influence risk taking behavior.