Partner Age Discordance and HIV Risk Behaviors in Adolescent Girls (Sexual RP)

描述(由申请人提供)：处于暴力或控制关系中的青春期女孩感染艾滋病毒和性传播疾病的风险可能更高。当伴侣年龄大两岁或两岁以上时，他们发生关系暴力或权力失衡的风险可能会更大。本研究的目的是在高危青春期女孩的样本中检验性关系权力与亲密伴侣暴力(IPV)和HIV风险相关性行为之间的相关性模型。该模型源于Blanc的循证框架，用于评估人口中性别权力关系和生殖健康之间的关系，作为权力失衡的风险。具体地说，这项研究旨在调查性伴侣年龄不一致两年以上与14-18岁青春期女孩高危性行为的关系，以及性关系权力和IPV在这种关系中的中介作用。将使用横断面描述性调查设计来评估所提出的青春期女孩性风险预测因素模型。数据将从城市学校健康中心的150名性行为活跃的青春期女孩中收集，该中心位于低收入社区。数据收集将通过自我管理的计算机辅助调查促进健康进行，该调查将分析答复并编制一份报告，其中包含针对个别参与者的健康信息、转介和资源。将分析人口统计变量的主要影响，包括青春期女孩的年龄、种族/族裔和文化适应状况以及身体或性虐待史。如果确定了主效应，那么这些因素将在回归分析中得到控制。通过多元回归分析，确定性关系权力和IPV在伴侣年龄不和和高危性行为之间的中介作用。将进行细分分析，以进一步调查变量之间的相关性，例如性关系权力和IPV。拟议的研究问题对于解决少女早期干预艾滋病毒/性传播疾病预防的需求至关重要，少女是感染艾滋病毒和其他性传播感染的高风险群体之一，也是增长最快的群体之一。了解恋爱关系中权力失衡的流行和影响，对于制定减少艾滋病毒、其他性传播感染和IPV的战略至关重要。如果年龄不协调、相对权力和暴力等关系因素增加了高危少女性行为的可能性，这种知识可以用来形成临床风险评估中提出的问题，并制定预防措施和公共卫生政策。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Adolescent girls in violent or controlling relationships are likely to be at higher risk for HIV and STIs. Their risk of relationship violence or power imbalances may be greater when the partner is two or more years older. The purpose of this study is to test a proposed model of the correlations between sexual relationship power and intimate partner violence (IPV) and HIV risk related sexual behaviors in a sample of at-risk adolescent girls. The model is derived from Blanc's evidence-based framework for assessing the relationship between gender power relations and reproductive health in populations as risk for power imbalances. Specifically, the study aims to investigate the relationship of sexual partners' age discordance of more than two years to high-risk sexual behavior, in adolescent girls ages 14-18, as well as the mediating role of sexual relationship power and IPV in that relationship. A cross-sectional, descriptive, survey design will be used to evaluate the model of Proposed Predictors of Sexual Risk in Adolescent Girls. Data will be collected from 150 sexually active adolescent girls at an urban school-based health center, in a low-income neighborhood. Data collection will be done via a self-administered, computer-assisted survey, Promote Health, which will analyze responses and format a report with health information, referrals, and resources specific to the individual participant. Data will be analyzed for main effects of demographic variables, including age of adolescent girl, race/ethnicity and acculturation status, and history of physical or sexual abuse. If main effects are determined, then these factors will be controlled for in regression analysis. The role of sexual relationship power and IPV as mediators of the relationship among partner age discordance and high risk sexual behaviors will be determined through multiple regression analysis. Sub-analyses will be conducted to further investigate the correlations among variables, for example sexual relationship power and IPV. The proposed research questions are critical in addressing the needs for early intervention in HIV/STD prevention for adolescent girls, who are at high risk for IPV and one of the fastest growing groups infected with HIV and other STIs. Understanding the prevalence and effects of power imbalances in romantic relationships is essential in developing strategies to reduce HIV, other STIs, and IPV. If relationship factors, such as age discordance, relative power, and violence increase the likelihood of sexual risk behaviors in at-risk adolescent girls, this knowledge can be used to shape questions asked in clinical risk assessment, and to develop prevention interventions and public health policy.