title: Relationship influence and health risk behavior among re-entering women offenders.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Studies have shown that relationships can influence health risk behaviors such as drug use among women offenders. This study takes an exploratory look at the positive and negative influences of parents, peers, and partners for women prisoners to better understand their health risk behavior for HIV, including risky sex and drug use.
  
  
  METHODS
  The current study includes secondary analysis of cross-sectional data from women offenders enrolled in three protocols of the National Institute on Drug Abuse-funded Criminal Justice Drug Abuse Treatment Studies cooperative agreement. Baseline interviews were completed with incarcerated women preparing for community re-entry and focused on behaviors during the 6 months before incarceration. Relationship influences during the 6 months before prison were categorized as "positive" or "negative" for the women offenders.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Multivariate regression models suggested that positive parental influence was significantly associated with reduced HIV risk and reduced drug use in the 6 months before incarceration. However, negative peer influence increased drug use including both risky needle behavior and any drug use in the 6 months before incarceration.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data suggest that, although relationships are generally important to women, particular types of relationship influences may be related to risky behavior. Implications for targeting re-entry interventions for women offenders are discussed.
authors.affiliation: University of Kentucky College of Social Work, Tower, Lexington, Kentucky 40506, USA. mstindall@uky.edu
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Staton-Tindall
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Frisman
authors.forename: Hsui-Ju
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Carl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Leukefeld
authors.forename: Carrie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Oser
authors.forename: Jennifer R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Havens
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Prendergast
authors.forename: Hilary L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Surratt
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Clarke
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D057237:Criminals; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000209:etiology; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010290:Parents; D010379:Peer Group; D011329:Prisoners; D012307:Risk Factors; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012747:Sexual Partners; D012931:Social Environment; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders; D055815:Young Adult