Social Networks, HIV Risk Behaviors, and Homeless Youth

描述(由申请人提供)：这项研究的长期目标是为感染艾滋病毒的高风险青年开发生命过程模型，并使用这些模型在预防干预中仔细瞄准可延展的风险和保护性中介。这一应用程序的目标是确定(A)社会网络风险特征和社会网络保护特征，(B)个人心理资源，以及(C)参与与青年艾滋病毒风险行为有关的一般规范活动和服务利用，使用300名无家可归和离家出走的青年作为样本。具体目标之一是使用OLS回归在中西部无家可归和离家出走的青年样本中经验地确定社会网络特征和艾滋病毒危险行为之间的直接联系。第二个目标是确定参与一般规范性活动和服务利用是否具有独特的保护无家可归青年的作用，并调解社会网络特征与艾滋病毒危险行为之间的关系。目的三是实证检验个人心理资源(如自我控制、自我效能感、自尊)是否调节或缓冲了社会网络特征与HIV危险行为之间的关系。目标四是确定性别、种族/民族和性取向是否缓和了社会网络和艾滋病毒危险行为之间的关系。最后，目标五是利用定性方法对无家可归和离家出走的青年进行访谈，以深入了解与社交网络规模和组成变化有关的行为和模式(如基线访谈所确定的)。下一步将通过三家服务机构招募和面试300名14岁至21岁的无家可归和离家出走的青年。此外，我们将进行40次深入的定性访谈(即每个机构/城市大约13次)。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The long-term goal of this research is to develop life course models for youth at high risk of contracting HIV and to use those models to carefully target malleable risk and protective mediators in preventive interventions. The objectives of this application are to identify (a) social network risk characteristics and social network protective characteristics, (b) personal psychological reources, and (c) participation in general normative activities and service ultilization that are associated with youths' HIV risk behavior using a sample of 300 homeless and runaway youth. Specific aim one is to use OLS regression to identify empirically the direct association between social network characteristics and HIV risk behaviors in a Midwestern sample of homeless and runaway youth. The second aim is to determine whether participation in general normative activites and service utilization uniquely protect homeless youth and mediate the relations between social network characteristics and HIV risk behaviors. Aim three is to empirically examine whether personal psychological resources (e.g., self-control, self-efficacy, self-esteem) moderate or buffer the relations between social network characteristics and HIV risk behaviors. Aim four is to identify whether gender, race/ethnicity, and sexual orientation moderate relations between social networks and HIV risk behaviors. Finally, aim five is to utilize qualitative methods to conduct interviews with a sub-sample of homeless and runaway youth to develop an in-depth understanding of the behaviors and patterns that are associated with variations in the size and composition of social networks (as determined from the baseline interview). The next step will be to recruit and interview 300 homeless and runaway youth, ages 14 to 21, through three service agencies. In addition, we will conduct 40 in-depth qualitative interviews (i.e., approximately 13 per agency/city).