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Interviews with 1,435 urban, low-income African American and Hispanic youth about sexual experiences and behaviors revealed that interviewer age affected the reporting of sensitive behaviors. The strongest effects were observed for Hispanic women, who reported more sexual activity to younger interviewers. (Author/SV)

Interviewed 30 Hispanics and 34 African Americans in Detroit, aged 15-21, to identify condom beliefs that may influence condom use in young minority populations. Also explored the utility of the construct accessibility model in explaining condom-use behavior. Condom intentions were reported to be accessible by more African Americans than by Hispanic participants. (KS)

Latinas continue to be disproportionately affected by HIV in the United States. Effective interventions to address HIV-related disparities among Latinas are available; however, they have not achieved widespread dissemination due to implementation challenges for real-world settings. A culturally tailored intervention that increases access to HIV prevention is urgently needed. The objective of this study was to develop a culturally tailored telenovela (i.e., a soap opera) to promote HIV prevention behaviors (condom use; HIV testing; and pre-exposure prophylaxis awareness, access, and use) among Latinas. The study was conducted in community organizations throughout South Florida. A total of 44 Spanish-speaking Latinas, 18–35 years old, and sexually active with a man in the past 6 months participated in the study. The final product was an HIV prevention telenovela that incorporated Latinas' ideas and feedback and was produced as four 10-minute filmed episodes. This study aimed to develop innovative approaches to reduce HIV-related disparities for Latinas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study replicates from a cross-sectional study about how young Latina teen viewers identify with and socially compare to teen mothers on MTV's Teen Mom over time. Identification and social comparison effects on attitudes toward teen pregnancy were assessed among the same group of Latina teen viewers at two different time points approximately one year apart. Results determined that upward social comparison and identification were associated with positive attitudes toward teen pregnancy in eighth grade, whereas downward social comparison was associated with negative attitudes toward teen pregnancy in ninth grade. Implications for teen mom reality programming audiences are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Hispanic adolescents are at high risk of engaging in sexual risk-taking behaviors. Parent–child communication protects against such behaviors. Among Hispanic families, it is critical to explore how cultural characteristics influence mothers–daughter communication about sex. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand how cultural values influence mothers' communication about sex with their early adolescent Hispanic daughters. Methodology: Twenty-one Hispanic mothers of seventh-grade daughters participated in this focus group study. Directed content analysis was used to analyze the data. Results: Four Hispanic cultural values (familismo, machismo, marianismo, and respeto) and how each value influences mother–daughter communication about sex were identified. While mothers want to protect their daughters, there are multiple cultural norms that made it challenging for them to have critical conversations. Discussion: The study informs researchers and clinicians how to facilitate parent–child conversations about sex and to equip parents to teach their children how to avoid engaging in sexual risk-taking behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we report findings regarding parent communication and daughter's experiences of bullying and victimization in a sample of Hispanic families with seventh-grade daughters. About 57% of daughters reported experiencing any form of victimization and 37% reported engaging in some type of bullying behavior. Overall, the most common type of victimization reported was verbal/emotional bullying (36%). Nearly all parents agreed they had spoken with their daughters about the dangers of bullying perpetration (95%) and how to handle being victimized (96%), but there was no association between the frequency with which parents spoke with their daughters about bullying perpetration and their child's victimization experiences. Additionally, the gap between parent and child acculturation did not appear to moderate this association. The high incidence of self-reported bullying perpetration and victimization experiences underscores the need for school nurses, parents, and school personnel to address bullying behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A content analysis of early adolescent X¯ = 12.02 years) Latino girls’ (n = 44) responses to open-ended questions embedded in an electronic survey was conducted to explore strategies girls may use to resist peer pressure with respect to sexual behavior. Analysis yielded 341 codable response units, 74% of which were consistent with the REAL typology (i.e., refuse, explain, avoid, leave) previously identified in adolescent substance use research. However, strategies reflecting a lack of resistance (11%) and inconsistency with communication competence (e.g., aggression) were also noted (15%). Frequency of particular strategies varied depending on the situation described in the open-ended question, suggesting a variety of strategies may be needed to resist the peer pressure that puts early adolescent girls at risk of engaging in sexual behavior. Study findings extend the typology of resistance strategies identified in adolescent substance initiation and use research to the context of early adolescent sexual behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article reports a study which was conducted to evaluate the feasibility of an avatar-based virtual reality peer resistance skill building game (DRAMA-RAMA) to explore the impact of game play on peer resistance self-efficacy in Hispanic girls. The results revealed that playing an avatar-based virtual reality technology game can strengthen peer resistance skills, and early adolescent Hispanic girls will have a positive response to this game.

Presents data in support of the reliability and validity of a four-item measure of acculturation for Hispanics in the United States. Correlation of the four-item acculturation scale with generation, length of time in the United States, subjective evaluation of acculturation, country of birth and language chosen for the interview.

This study used multiple group structural equation modeling (SEM) to evaluate gender and ethnic differences in a theoretical model of condom use with a well known partner. The sample consisted of urban, low income, African American and Hispanic males and females. The theoretical model incorporated concepts from the Health Belief Model (HBM), Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA), and Construct Accessibility Model (CAM). A new theoretical concept, condom predisposition, emerged from SEM as a predictor of condom use in all four gender-ethnic groups. This concept combines elements of the TRA (attitude, partner norm) and CAM (accessibility of condom related constructs). Statistically reliable differences were found in the theoretical models for each group. For example, talking about AIDS was positively related to a predisposition to use condoms for African American males and both Hispanic males and females. In contrast, for African American females, it was their concern about AIDS that was positively related to this predisposition. These results underscore the importance of investigating gender differences within ethnic groups, and benefits of integrating different theoretical perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the summer of 1989, 30 Hispanic (15 male, I5 female) and 34 African American (17 male, 17 female) Detroit youth participated in face-to-face interviews designed to identify condom beliefs that may influence condom use in young minority populations. Also of interest was the utility of the construct accessibility model (CAM) in explaining condom use behavior. Results suggest several participants believed condoms protect against AIDS and several believed that condoms break. Condom intentions were accessible in more African American than Hispanic participants (Fisher's exact, p < .04, two tailed), and consistent with the CAM, condom use in the 12-month period preceding the interview was associated with accessibility of condom intentions (Fisher's exact, p < .0001, two tailed). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]