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Heterogeneity in patterns of sexual risk behaviors among african‐american youth: Associations with general and race‐specific factors
Author(s) -
Burrow Anthony L.,
Tubman Jonathan G.,
Gil Andrés G.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of community psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.585
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 1520-6629
pISSN - 0090-4392
DOI - 10.1002/jcop.20158
Subject(s) - ethnic group , multivariate analysis of variance , sexual orientation , psychology , race (biology) , clinical psychology , african american , cluster (spacecraft) , substance use , demography , developmental psychology , social psychology , history , ethnology , botany , machine learning , sociology , anthropology , computer science , biology , programming language
Abstract This descriptive study employed a within‐groups analytic approach to examine patterns of sexual risk behavior and co‐occurring general and race/ethnicity‐specific risk and protective factors in a community sample of African‐American youth (n = 436). Cluster analysis was used to classify young adults by levels of self‐reported past year sexual risk behaviors. MANOVA, ANOVA, and chi‐square analyses indicated significant associations between cluster membership and (a) lifetime psychiatric diagnoses, (b) peer substance use behaviors, and (c) self‐reported past year alcohol and marijuana use. Cluster membership was not associated with several race/ethnicity‐specific variables: racial/ethnic orientation, cultural mistrust, and perceived discrimination. The results of the current study can inform the development of HIV/STI prevention strategies for vulnerable African‐American youth. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comm Psychol 35: 447–462, 2007.