The Role of Religion in the Social Cognitive Model of Sexual Risk

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): HIV and STIs are disproportionately affecting African American communities, especially in the South. Drug use is a major contributing factor to the increased HIV risk experienced by many African Americans. Stimulant use in particular has been associated with increased participation in high-risk sexual behaviors such as inconsistent condom use, multiple sexual partners, and trading sex for drugs and money. This puts African American cocaine users at tremendous risk of HIV transmission. Theory-based culturally-tailored risk reduction interventions are necessary to effectively address HIV risk in this vulnerable yet underserved population. Studies have found that faith-based interventions are particularly effective and well-received among at-risk African Americans because of strong cultural and personal connections to religion and religious institutions, particularly among African Americans living in the Southern U.S. In addition, studies have shown that certain dimensions of religion are associated with decreased participation in risky behaviors such as drug use and unsafe sex practices, especially among African Americans. Yet, little research has been done to examine not only the association between sexual risk and religion but also the intrapersonal and interpersonal mechanisms that underlie this association. Through the use of correlation statistics, multivariate regressions, and path analyses the proposed study aims to investigate Social Cognitive Theory-based pathways through which religion affects sexual risk within a unique sample of African American cocaine users living in the rural South. Using supplementary assessments of baseline data gathered through the parent study, Reducing Sexual Risk among Rural African American Cocaine Users (1R01DA024575-01), the proposed study aims to test study hypotheses and explore the extent to which the social-cognitive mediators explain and do not explain the hypothesized associations. The specific aims of the proposed study are to; (1) test several pathways that could account for the relationships among various religion constructs, SCT-based constructs, and sexual risk behaviors, and (2) examine important potential moderators and covariates that could influence these pathways and have important implications for intervention development. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The proposed study is both significant and innovative because of its exploration of inter- and intrapersonal pathways through which religion may influence sexual risk, its application of health behavior theory to religion-health research, and its incorporation of an understudied at-risk population. The results from this study will provide researchers with improved understanding of the important yet complex relationship between religion and sexual risk, which could be used to develop theoretical faith-based risk reduction interventions for rural African American communities that are disproportionately affected by HIV and STIs.