Suchergebnisse

We conducted a replication and extension of Driscoll, Davis, and Lipetz's (1972) classic longitudinal survey of the Romeo and Juliet effect, wherein they found that increases in parental interference were linked to increases in love and commitment. Using the original measures, 396 participants were followed over a 3–4 month period wherein they reported love, commitment, trust, and criticism for their partners as well as levels of perceived interference from friends and family. Participants also completed contemporary, validated measures of the same constructs similar to those often implemented in studies of social network opinion. Repeating the analyses employed by Driscoll and colleagues, we could not find evidence for the Romeo and Juliet effect. Rather, consistent with the social network effect ( Felmlee, 2001 ), participants reporting higher levels of interference or lower levels of approval reported poorer relationship quality regardless of outcome measured. This effect was likewise evident in a meta-analysis.

IntroductionRates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are higher among U.S. military personnel than their civilian counterparts. Yet there is a paucity of military-specific research that has utilized theoretical frameworks to describe the relative influence of the multiple and interrelated risk factors associated with STIs in this population of young, healthy men and women. The aim of this study was to examine the relative influence of Information, Motivation, and Behavioral Skills Model (IMB) factors known to be associated with condom use and STI diagnosis, as well as examine gender differences among a cohort of young, active duty enlistees who are in the very early stages of their military careers.Materials and methodsData were collected in 2011 to 2013 through self-administered questionnaires and laboratory-confirmed tests of STIs. Logistic regression analyses were used to assess IMB constructs, behavioral risk variables, and sociodemographic factors associated with STI diagnosis and condom use separately among female and male military personnel.ResultsSTIs among males were significantly associated with nonwhite race, lower STI behavioral intentions and STI behavioral skills, and engaging in sex after drinking alcohol. Further, males who reported more positive attitudes toward using condoms, higher confidence in preventing drinking, higher alcohol prevention norms among peers, a lower frequency of drinking alcohol before engaging in sexual intercourse, more sexual partners, and higher STI behavioral intentions were significantly more likely to report using condoms consistently during sexual encounters. Among female participants, a history of STIs was significantly associated with higher numbers of reported sexual partners and greater alcohol prevention efficacy while lifetime consistent condom use was significantly associated only with stronger intentions to avoid behaviors that might result in STI acquisition.ConclusionOur findings support the need for development of STI prevention strategies that include education and skills-building approaches to reduce alcohol misuse among enlisted military personnel, and especially male personnel. Such programs should include factors that uniquely influence the experiences of males and females in the military context.

Rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are higher among U.S. military personnel than their civilian counterparts. Yet there is a paucity of military-specific research that has utilized theoretical frameworks to describe the relative influence of the multiple and interrelated risk factors associated with STIs in this population of young, healthy men and women. The aim of this study was to examine the relative influence of Information, Motivation, and Behavioral Skills Model (IMB) factors known to be associated with condom use and STI diagnosis, as well as examine gender differences among a cohort of young, active duty enlistees who are in the very early stages of their military careers. Data were collected in 2011 to 2013 through self-administered questionnaires and laboratory-confirmed tests of STIs. Logistic regression analyses were used to assess IMB constructs, behavioral risk variables, and sociodemographic factors associated with STI diagnosis and condom use separately among female and male military personnel. STIs among males were significantly associated with nonwhite race, lower STI behavioral intentions and STI behavioral skills, and engaging in sex after drinking alcohol. Further, males who reported more positive attitudes toward using condoms, higher confidence in preventing drinking, higher alcohol prevention norms among peers, a lower frequency of drinking alcohol before engaging in sexual intercourse, more sexual partners, and higher STI behavioral intentions were significantly more likely to report using condoms consistently during sexual encounters. Among female participants, a history of STIs was significantly associated with higher numbers of reported sexual partners and greater alcohol prevention efficacy while lifetime consistent condom use was significantly associated only with stronger intentions to avoid behaviors that might result in STI acquisition. Our findings support the need for development of STI prevention strategies that include education and skills-building approaches to ...

Objective: This study investigated whether HIV testing attitudes, HIV conspiracy beliefs, and reported sexual partner disclosure of HIV/STI status related to one-month self-report HIV testing outcomes following a brief intervention among Black women aged 18-25 years residing in rural Mississippi.Participants: Black women (N=119; Mage=19.90, SD=1.81) recruited in rural Mississippi completed an online assessment before a brief HIV prevention intervention and a one month follow-up assessment dur­ing January to November 2016.Main Outcome Measures: Self-reported HIV testing 30-days following the interven­tion, partner HIV/STI status disclosure, beliefs in HIV conspiracy theory, and HIV testing attitudes in pre- and post-interven­tion assessments. Bivariate and multivariate analyses tested associations with HIV testing behaviors following the intervention.Results: Moderated moderation was used to examine whether HIV conspiracy beliefs and partner disclosure status both moder­ated the relationship between pre-interven­tion attitudes toward HIV testing and HIV testing at 1-month follow-up. It was found that both HIV conspiracy beliefs and partner disclosure moderated the relationship between attitudes and HIV testing at one-month follow-up. When partner disclosure was low, women with more negative at­titudes toward testing and higher conspiracy beliefs were less likely to get tested than those with negative attitudes and lower conspiracy beliefs; conspiracy beliefs did not relate to testing outcomes when testing attitudes were positive.Conclusion: Findings suggest that interven­tions may benefit from accounting for con­spiracy beliefs and the dyadic status disclo­sure when encouraging young rural women to test for HIV.Ethn Dis. 2020;30(2):251- 260; doi:10.18865/ed.30.2.251

The current study tested whether COVID-19 disruptions and perceived discrimination were related to mental health (i.e., posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD] symptoms and emotional, psychological, and social well-being), and whether exercise moderated relations. Additionally, we tested whether findings varied by ethnicity/race. Participants were 368 African American and Asian American emerging adults ( Mage = 19.92, SD = .34). Findings did not vary by ethnicity/race. COVID-19 disruptions predicted poorer emotional, psychological, and social well-being, and more PTSD symptoms. Discrimination predicted more PTSD symptoms. Exercise was associated with better emotional, psychological, and social well-being, and moderated the relation between COVID-19 disruptions and emotional well-being. At low levels of exercise, COVID-19 disruptions predicted poorer emotional well-being, but this relation was not significant at high levels of exercise. Findings highlight that discrimination and disruptions during the pandemic negatively affect African American and Asian American emerging adults' mental health, but that exercise plays an important protective role.