Marseille 2007
Marseille 2007
Abstract book
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Abstract #408  -  The Power of the Parent: Parent Communication Moderates Effects of Peer Influence on Sexual Risk Behavior for Adolescents in Psychiatric Care
Session:
  23.2: Sex and Risk (Parallel) on Monday @ 16.30-18.30 in CP Chaired by Ulrike Sonnenberg Schwan, Marc-Eric Gruenais
Authors:
  Presenting Author:   Dr Chisina Kapungu - Institute for Health Research & Policy, United States
 
  Additional Authors:  Ms Carla Nappi, Dr Charu Thakral, Dr Geri Donenberg, Dr Larry Brown, Dr Ralph DiClemente,  
Aim:
Competing social factors influence adolescent sexual risk behavior. Teens identify parents as an important source of information related to STDs/HIV and take on parental sexual values when family communication about sex is effective and frequent. However, peer norms are also linked to adolescent sexual risk. The relative contributions of parents and peers on teenssexual behavior is less clear. Adolescents in psychiatric care report elevated rates of sexual risk behavior, and the social climate of these teens has a robust effect on their sexual risk behavior. The purpose of the current study is to examine parent and peer influences among youth with mental health problems. We predicted that the relationship between peer sexual norms and adolescent-reported sexual risk behavior would depend upon the quality and frequency of parent sexual communication.
 
Method / Issue:
214 adolescents (63% female; 13-18 years old, M = 15.39, SD = 1.29) participated in Project STYLE, a family-based HIV prevention intervention for youth in psychiatric care. Youth reported on the following: quality (i.e., ease, openness) of family sexual communication and frequency of family discussions related to condom use, age of sexual debut and peer pressure, as well as perceptions of peer sexual norms and their own condom use behavior.
 
Results / Comments:
Results supported predictions. Among teens who reported high quality parent sexual communication, peer norms were not linked to teen condom use (r= -0.04, p = 0.69). However, among teens reporting poor quality parent sexual communication, peer norms and condom use were significantly related (r = -0.21, p = 0.03) such that as perceived peer norms of sexual permissiveness increased, teen-reported condom use decreased. Similarly, among teens who reported a high frequency of parent communication about condom use and sexual debut, peer norms were not associated with condom use (r = -0.02, p = 0.84, r = 0.01, p = 0.91, respectively). Nevertheless, among teens reporting less frequent parent communication about condom use and sexual debut, peer norms and condom use were significantly related (r = -0.23, p = 0.02, r = -0.25, p < .01, respectively); as perceived peer sexual permissiveness increased, teen-reported condom use decreased. The relationship between peer norms and teen-reported condom use did not differ depending upon frequency of communication related to peer pressure (p > 0.05).
 
Discussion:
Although data from the present study was cross sectional and limited to teen self-report, results corroborate emerging findings that parental communication has a powerful influence on the sexual behavior among adolescents receiving mental health services. The qualitative style and frequency of parent communication about sex may mitigate the influence of sexually permissive peer attitudes on the condom use behavior of troubled youth. For families managing adolescent psychiatric difficulties, the present findings suggest that enhancement of parent-teen sexual communication, particularly related to condom use and sexual debut, may contribute to safer adolescent sexual behavior.
 
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