Partner Specific Factors in Adolescent Behavior

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The purpose of this award is to attain the necessary theoretical and methodological background to further a career in adolescent health research. Formal training in the fields of biostatistics, epidemiology, and public health will be completed during enrollment in Brown University's Master's of Public Health program. Concurrent with this training, I will accomplish the specific aims of this award. The specific aims of this program of research are to I) to conduct a secondary data analysis of a data set from samples of high- and low-risk sexually experienced adolescents to determine: a) psychosocial factors (attitudes, values, expectancies) which differ between those who have sex with main/steady partners only, those who have sex with casual/non-steady partners only and those who have sex with both types of partners; b) if the same or different psychosocial factors predict partner-specific sexual behaviors; c) if there are differences between girls and boys in the relationships among psychosocial factors, partner types, and partner-specific sexual behaviors; 2) to conduct elicitation research to empirically verify psychosocial factors identified in the secondary data analysis and to identify additional relationship dynamics that influence continuing unsafe sexual behaviors among sexually experienced adolescents; and 3) to design, pilot test, and refine a sexual risk reduction intervention, designed to enhance identified partner-specific psychosocial protective factors in sexually experienced adolescents. This program of research will be conducted with the guidance of a multidisciplinary and experienced team including adolescent health, medical, and behavioral health researchers.