Neighborhood characteristics, drug use, and HIV risk among African American youth

描述(由申请人提供)：本提案旨在测试由首席调查员开发的概念框架，该框架检查了城市非裔美国青年中的社区风险、边缘化、种族认同和艾滋病毒风险之间的关系。对非裔美国青年的定性研究用绝望和无法控制自己生活结果的感觉来描述边缘化。这些被边缘化的观念导致许多青年采用了以主流标准衡量非常规的规范和态度，包括对危险行为的非常规态度(例如，批准使用药物)。种族认同也被认为是非裔美国人青年发展的一个重要因素。因此，种族认同可能会影响边缘化观念与青年非传统态度和艾滋病毒风险之间的关系。这项拟议的研究旨在1)调查感知的邻里风险(即暴露于社区暴力和城市麻烦中的经历)与艾滋病毒危险行为(物质使用和性风险)之间的关系。2)考察受边缘化(即无望感和低自我效能感)和非传统态度(即对物质使用的认可)影响的邻里风险和艾滋病毒风险行为的程度。3)评估种族认同是否缓和了边缘化观念和非传统态度之间的关系。将使用NIDA资助的横断面数据集使用结构方程建模(SEM)进行二次数据分析。样本包括567名非洲裔美国青年，年龄在13-19岁之间，就读于马里兰州的一所城市公立高中。这些发现将增加我们对城市非裔美国青年中物质使用和性危险行为的开始和发展的理解。这些知识可以为针对这一人群的有效艾滋病毒行为预防和干预努力的发展提供信息。这项提案旨在测试首席调查员开发的概念框架，该框架检查了社区风险、边缘化、种族认同和城市非裔美国青年中艾滋病毒风险之间的关系。这些发现将增加我们对城市非裔美国青年中物质使用和性危险行为的开始和发展的理解。这项研究的结果可能会对艾滋病毒预防项目做出贡献，这些项目旨在实现美国卫生与公众服务部2010年健康人倡议的目标，该倡议旨在消除与艾滋病毒相关的健康差距。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This proposal seeks to test a conceptual framework developed by the Principal Investigator examining the relationship between neighborhood risk, marginalization, racial identity, and HIV risk among urban African American youth. Qualitative studies of African American youth describe marginalization in terms hopelessness and not feeling in control of the outcomes in one's life. These perceptions of marginalization, led many youth to adopt norms and attitudes that are unconventional by mainstream standards, including unconventional attitudes about risk behaviors (e.g., approval of substance use). Racial identity has also been identified as an important factor in African American youth development. Therefore, racial identity may influence how perceptions of marginalization are related to youth unconventional attitudes and HIV risk. The proposed research aims to 1) investigate the relationship between perceived neighborhood risk (i.e., exposure to community violence and experience with urban hassles) and HIV risk behaviors (substance use and sexual risk). 2) To examine the extent to which perceived neighborhood risk and HIV risk behaviors is mediated by perceptions of marginalization (i.e., hopelessness and low self-efficacy) and having unconventional attitudes (i.e., approval of substance use). 3) To assess whether racial identity moderates the relationship between perceptions of marginalization and unconventional attitudes. Secondary data analysis using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with a NIDA funded cross-sectional dataset will be used. The sample includes 567 African American youth, ages 13-19 years, enrolled at an urban public high school in Maryland. Findings will increase our understanding of the initiation and progression of substance use and sexual risk behaviors among urban African American youth. Such knowledge could inform the development of effective HIV behavioral prevention and intervention efforts targeting this population. This proposal seeks to test a conceptual framework developed by the Principal Investigator examining the relationship between neighborhood risk, marginalization, racial identity, and HIV risk among urban African American youth. Findings will increase our understanding of the initiation and progression of substance use and sexual risk behaviors among urban African American youth. Results from this study could make a contribution to HIV prevention programs that address the goals of the US Department of Health and Human Services Healthy People 2010 initiative to eliminate health disparities related to HIV.