History of Depressed Mood and Condom Use among High School Students in the Dominican Republic

Background: Studies conducted in the United States have demonstrated an association between depression and sexual risk behavior among adolescents, but little is known about sexual risk and depression among adolescents in the Dominican Republic (DR). This presentation examines the association between depressed mood, gender and the likelihood of engaging in unprotected sex among high school students in the DR. Methods: Data was collected from a convenience sample of students at two high schools in the DR. Of the 574 students who completed the survey, the 177 who reported ever having sexual intercourse were included in this analysis. Chi-square analyses to examine the association between condom use at last sex and each predictor variable were conducted to determine which variables to place in a final logistic regression model. Multivariate logistic regression was conducted. Results: A significant association was found between the predictor variables (gender, history of depressed mood, and number of lifetime sex partners) and likelihood of condom use at last sex, LRx2(3) = 22.72, p<.001. The odds ratios for gender and depressed mood were also significant, indicating that females and those with a history of depressed mood are approximately 2.5 times less likely to use condoms. Bivariate analyses indicated number of sexual partners, gender and depressed mood are independently associated with condom use. Conclusions: Further research is indicated to validate the association between depressed mood and sexual risk behaviors among adolescents in the DR. Practice implications may include provision of depression prevention interventions in DR schools to reduce sexual risk.