Marseille 2007
Marseille 2007
Abstract book
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Abstract #102  -  Sexual sensation seeking, social stress and coping styles: predictors of HIV risk behaviors in Spanish adolescents. (Type of presentation: Oral communication to be included in a simposium)
Session:
  23.3: Sex and Risk (Parallel) on Monday @ 16.30-18.30 in CP Chaired by Ulrike Sonnenberg Schwan, Marc-Eric Gruenais
Authors:
  Presenting Author:   Ms Inmaculada Teva lvarez - Universidad de Granada (Spain), Spain
 
  Additional Authors:  Dr Mara Paz Bermdez, Dr Olga Gutirrez-Martnez, Mr ngel Castro, Prof Gualberto Buela-Casal,  
Aim:
During adolescence a lot of psychosocial demands are present and adolescents have to confront them. It has showed that there is a relation between sexual sensation seeking, social stress and certain coping styles in HIV risk behaviours involvement. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess if sexual sensation seeking, social stress and coping styles predicted some HIV risk behaviours in Spanish adolescents.
 
Method / Issue:
The participants were a representative sample of 4.303 Spanish adolescents from the different regions. Their age was among 13 and 19 years old (mean = 15.66; standard deviation = 1.26). 47.2% were men and 52.8% were women. The instruments used were the Spanish adaptations of: Adolescent Coping Scale (Frydenberg and Lewis, 1990); Sexual Sensation Seeking Scale (Kalichman and Rompa, 1995), Social Stress subscale of the Behavior Assessment System of Children and Adolescents (Reynolds and Kamphaus, 1992); questionnaire related to HIV risk behaviours and sexual behaviour made ad hoc by the researchers. It is a cross-sectional study. The adolescents filled out the questionnaire in their classrooms at the high schools in a collective way and under the same conditions for all of them.
 
Results / Comments:
Logistic regression analyses were used. The results that were obtained showed that in women adolescents the coping style named relationships with the rest of people was a predictor variable of the use of condom during the last sexual intercourse. In men adolescents, the coping style centred in problem solving predicted the use of condoms during the last sexual intercourse. Sexual sensation seeking was a predictor to have had a casual partner during the last sexual intercourse in boys and girls. An unproductive coping style predicted the use of drugs during the last sexual intercourse in boys while a coping style centred in problem solving would be a protective factor to do not use drugs in the last sexual intercourse in girls. Sexual sensation seeking was showed as a predictor of use of drugs during the last sexual intercourse both boys and girls.
 
Discussion:
HIV prevention programs directed to adolescents should consider sexual sensation seeking, social stress and coping styles. Indeed, is important to take into account the gender differences in relation to the influence of coping styles in HIV risk behaviours. To emphasize sexual sensation seeking as a risk factor to the involvement in certain HIV risk behaviours, because this variable has been scarcely studied in adolescent population.
 
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