Gender attitudes and health risk behaviors in urban African American and Latino early adolescents.
OBJECTIVE
This study examines the association of beliefs about gender differences (frequently termed gender attitudes or attitudes about women in other research) and of beliefs specifically about masculinity to health risk behaviors in minority, urban, early adolescents, in light of the "gender conventionality" hypothesis.


METHODS
Data from a self-administered questionnaire assessing gender attitudes and violence-related, substance use, and heterosexual health risk behaviors administered to 587 African American and Latino early adolescents are analyzed.


RESULTS
With sociodemographic and family variables controlled, in males violence-related behaviors and substance use are associated with traditional beliefs about masculinity, and heterosexual activity is associated with traditional beliefs about gender differences. In females, being sexually active is positively associated with traditional beliefs about masculinity.


CONCLUSIONS
Interventions to reduce health risk behaviors in minority, urban, early adolescents may be more effective if they include greater attention to ways in which gender-related attitudes may play a role in health risk taking.
Pleck
J H
JH
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 61821, USA. jhpleck@uiuc.edu
O'Donnell
L N
LN
D000293:Adolescent; D001741:Black or African American; D001290:Attitude; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012737:Sex Factors; D014505:Urban Population; D014754:Violence