Personal, relational, and peer-level risk factors for laboratory confirmed STD prevalence among low-income African American adolescent females.
OBJECTIVE
To identify risk factors for laboratory confirmed sexually transmitted disease (STD) prevalence among low-income African American adolescent females living in a high-risk urban area of the Southern United States.


METHODS
Participants were 715 African American adolescent females recruited from urban clinics. Data collection occurred from 2002 to 2004 and included an audio-computer assisted self-interview lasting about 60 minutes and a self-collected vaginal swab for NAAT to detect Trichomonas vaginalis, Chlamydia trachomatis, and Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Ten personal-level risk factors were assessed as well as 8 risk factors involving either peer or relational factors.


RESULTS
Adolescents (28.8%) tested positive for at least 1 STD. Six personal-level and 4 social-level measures achieved a bivariate screening level of significance. In the multivariate model, only 3 measures achieved significance: gang involvement, social support from peers, and fear of condom use negotiation. Compared to those who had never belonged to a gang, those who had were about 4.2 times more likely (95% CI = 2.16-9.44) to test positive. Adolescents' who had higher levels of fear pertaining to condom use negotiation were more likely to test positive as were adolescents who perceived higher levels of social support from their peers.


CONCLUSIONS
This finding suggests and supports the utility of designing interventions for high-risk African American adolescent females that incorporate objectives to modify the significant social influences related to STD acquisition.
Salazar
Laura F
LF
Rollins School of Public Health, Department of Behavioral Science and Health Education, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA. lfsalaz@sph.emory.edu
Crosby
Richard A
RA
Diclemente
Ralph J
RJ
Wingood
Gina M
GM
Rose
Eve
E
Sales
Jessica McDermott
JM
Caliendo
Angela M
AM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D017280:Condoms; D003268:Contraception Behavior / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010379:Peer Group; D011203:Poverty; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000208:ethnology; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D047568:Unsafe Sex / Q000208:ethnology; D014505:Urban Population