Alcohol use and protective sexual behaviors among high-risk adolescents.
OBJECTIVE
This study seeks to advance our understanding of moderating influences on the relationship between alcohol and condom use by examining their association at both the global and event levels of analysis using a prospective approach within a sample of high-risk adolescents. The following potential moderators were examined: sex-related alcohol expectancies, gender, relationship type, level of alcohol use, and impulsive sensation seeking.


METHODS
Criminally involved adolescents (N = 300) completed measures of alcohol use, condom use, personality, and alcohol expectancies; 267 (89%) participants completed a behavioral assessment 6 months later.


RESULTS
At the global level of analysis, there was a significant moderating effect of alcohol-related sexual-enhancement expectancies, such that the relationship between alcohol and condom use was negative and significant only among individuals with higher sexual-enhancement expectancies. At the time-limited global level, impulsive sensation seeking at baseline was negatively associated with condom use at 6-month follow-up. At the event level, there was a Gender x Alcohol interaction such that alcohol use was unrelated to condom use among males but was strongly and negatively related among females.


CONCLUSIONS
This study makes a contribution to the understanding of the relationship between alcohol use and condom use by looking beyond main effects and conducting an empirically driven and multilevel examination of moderating variables. Results support the inclusion of situation-specific alcohol risk-reduction content in human immunodeficiency virus/sexually transmitted disease-prevention activities.
Bryan
Angela
A
Department of Psychology, 345 UCB, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0345, USA. angela.bryan@colorado.edu
Ray
Lara A
LA
Cooper
M Lynne
ML
D000293:Adolescent; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D003120:Colorado; D017280:Condoms / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005106:Exploratory Behavior; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D007604:Juvenile Delinquency / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D012718:Set, Psychology; D012737:Sex Factors; D047568:Unsafe Sex / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014505:Urban Population