Preventing HIV transmission: the perspective of inner-city Puerto Rican adolescents

Influential Factors of Puerto Rican Mother-Child Communication About Sexual Health Topics

Introduction Latina mothers play a central role in raising and socializing their children; however, few studies have examined the cultural, socio-cognitive and neighborhood-related variables influencing the level of communication between Puerto Rican mothers and their children about sexuality and sexual health. This cross-sectional study sought to examine these influences. Methods Puerto Rican mothers with children aged 10-19 years (n = 193) were selected randomly for an ethnographic interview as part of a community participatory action research project in a U.S. urban northeastern community. Results Bivariate analyses found statistically significant associations between the child's age (p = 0.002), the mother's past communication about traditional gender role norms of women (marianismo) (p < 0.001), her positive outcome expectations for communications with her child (p < 0.025), and her perceptions of the physical condition (p < 0.001) and sexual health problems (p = 0.047) in the neighborhood. In a multivariate model, all of these variables remained significant except sexual health problems, and mother's attitudes toward the obligations of children to parents (familismo) emerged as a factor associated with a decrease in the number of sexual health topics that mothers raised with their children. No significant effects were found for mother's spiritual and religious experience (religiosidad). Discussion Our study highlights the importance of marianismo as a framework within which Puerto Rican mothers communicate sexual health information as well as the need to improve mothers' confidence discussing sexual health issues with their children. Future public health interventions to promote communication about sexuality and sexual health among Puerto Rican mothers should consider addressing this issue as a part of comprehensive neighborhood improvement projects.

Walking out of one culture into another: health concerns of early adolescent Latinos

Adolescence is considered a critical life transition that can lead to heightened vulnerability. Acculturation takes on increased importance during this period. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between acculturation and perceived health concerns of early adolescent Latinos in rural North Carolina. A qualitative descriptive design using gender-specific focus groups was conducted in the summer of 2001. Twenty-six Latino adolescents, predominantly from Mexico, participated in one of four focus groups. Acculturation was assessed using the Short Acculturation Scale (Marin & Marin, 1991). The most prevalent health concern of the girls was unsolicited physical contact and aggressive male behavior. Boys expressed concerns about stress related to financial worries and drinking alcohol. A better understanding of where Latino adolescents are located in the acculturation process can assist school nurses in developing targeted school-based prevention programs that focus on building specific skills for Latino girls and boys.

Preventing HIV transmission in adolescents: an analysis of the Portuguese data from the Health Behaviour School-aged Children study and focus groups

BACKGROUND

There is recognition of the need to examine psychosocial and ecological determinants contributing to both risk and protective factors related to adolescents' sexual behaviour and HIV/AIDS.

METHODS

The study utilized mixed quantitative and qualitative methods. Data were collected from the Portuguese sample of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) 2002. Based on these results, 14 focus group discussions were conducted.

RESULTS

A substantial minority of young people continue to engage in high-risk practices. Thus, female gender, older age, reporting easy to talk with father, not getting drunk and not getting involved in fights are significantly associated with protected sexual behaviour (using condom during last sexual intercourse). According to these results, being female and a comprehensive grade student are both related to a significantly more positive attitude towards infected people. It was concluded that these adolescents view sexual behaviour, sexual partners and condom use as elements within a complex script that governs heterosexual interactions. Several themes related to condom used emerged. Despite HIV/AIDS knowledge, young people underestimate their own risk of becoming infected with HIV. The majority of adolescents believe that HIV-infected people experience discrimination and social exclusion. Adolescents' opinions of HIV-infected people were mostly positive. Although most participants knew that HIV cannot be transmitted through social contact, undefined fears concerning the infection exist.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings have important implications for the implementation of a comprehensive programme on HIV/AIDS education in secondary schools.

Ecodevelopmental HIV prevention programs for Hispanic adolescents

The purpose of this article is to illustrate how an ecodevelopmental perspective on risk and protection can be applied to the study and prevention of unsafe sexual behavior in Hispanic immigrant adolescents. Special attention is given to culturally based ecodevelopmental risk and protective processes that may influence unsafe sexual behavior among Hispanic adolescents. Principles for designing prevention programs to offset these risks are offered on the basis of an ecodevelopmental HIV prevention program that has been developed and is currently being tested.

Latinas and HIV/AIDS risk factors: implications for harm reduction strategies

OBJECTIVES

We examined risk factors for HIV infection among Puerto Rican and Mexican American women aged 15 through 44 years.

METHODS

We used data from the 1995 National Survey of Family Growth. Analyses focused on the relation between sex role attitudes, sex education, anxiety, and consistent condom use.

RESULTS

Nearly 60% of Puerto Rican and Mexican American women received no sex education from parents. Twenty-one percent of Puerto Rican and 38.3% of Mexican American women reported no sex education in schools. Women with some sex education in school, less than 13 years of education, or higher sex role attitude scores were more likely than other women to have partners who consistently used condoms.

CONCLUSIONS

Harm reduction interventions must be designed to reach multiple Latino audiences by age, gender, and subgroup