141st APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

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Recorded Annual Meeting Presentations (RAMP) are now available for purchase.
Only $90 for presenters, $140 for registered attendees and $200 for non-attendees.

Online Program

279743
Substantial differences in risk behaviors of homeless youth in two large networks of homeless youth in los angeles


Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Eric Rice, PhD, School of Social Work, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Hailey Winetrobe, MPH, CHES, Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Harmony Rhoades, PhD, Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Robin Petering, MSW, School of Social Work, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Adam Carranza, BA, School of Social Work, University of Souther California, Los Angeles, CA
David Dent, BA, School of Social Work, University of Souther California, Los Angeles, CA
Anamika Barman-Adhikari, MA, MSW, PhD Student, School of Social Work, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Shannon Dunlap, MSW, School of Social Work, University of Souther California, Los Angeles, CA
Natalie Bracken, BA, School of Social Work, University of Southern California
Norweeta Milburn, PhD, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA Nathanson Family Resilience Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Objective: Homeless youth are at great risk for sex and drug-related HIV risk-taking behaviors. Almost all available information on homeless youth HIV risk behaviors is derived from personal network studies, not from sociometric data. The latter approach to data collection allows one to examine the interconnections among a population of at-risk individuals. This study examined the differences in demographics and behaviors of two large social networks of homeless youth collected in two different geographic neighborhoods (n=386) in Los Angeles, CA to asses differences/similarities by network/geographic location.

Method: Using an event based approach to social network data collection, two large networks of youth were collected. Youth nominated an unrestricted set of personal network ties, from which the sub-set of agency-engaged youth connections were derived to create the networks. Chi-square and t test statistics were used to examine differences between the “Beach” network the Hollywood network. Results: The two sociometric networks were quite different along several dimensions. More youth in Hollywood were African American, Latino or mixed race/ethnicity, female, had histories of foster care involvement, and were actively caring for children relative to beach youth. Beach youth evidenced significantly more lifetime and recent substance use, more lifetime sexual partners, less HIV and STI testing, and less use of housing and medical social services.

Conclusions: HIV prevention needs for homeless youth networks can vary widely even within a single metropolitan area. What is normative in one network may not be normative in another. We suggest intervention strategies for different network types.

Learning Areas:

Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Provision of health care to the public
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Identify how engagement with different social networks of homeless youth is associated with HIV risk-taking behaviors of homeless youth.

Keyword(s): HIV/AIDS, Homelessness

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a professor in a school of social work
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 4115.0: HIV and vulnerable populations