title: Associations between adult attachment style and health risk behaviors in an adult female primary care population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the relationship between adult attachment style and health risk behaviors among adult women in a primary care setting.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this analysis of a population of women enrolled in a large health maintenance organization (N=701), we examined the relationship between anxious and avoidant dimensions of adult attachment style and a variety of sexual, substance-related, and other health risk behaviors. After conducting descriptive statistics of the entire population, we determined the relationships between the two attachment dimensions and health behaviors using multiple regression analyses in which we controlled for demographic and socioeconomic factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After adjustment for covariates, the anxious dimension of attachment style was significantly associated with increased odds of self-report of having sex without knowing a partner's history, having multiple (≥2) male partners in the past year, and history of having a sexually transmitted infection (ORs [95% CIs]=1.11 [1.03, 1.20], 1.23 [1.04, 1.45]; and 1.17 [1.05, 1.30], respectively). The avoidant attachment dimension was associated with increased odds of being a smoker and not reporting regular seatbelt use (ORs [95% CIs]=1.15 [1.01, 1.30] and 1.16 [1.01, 1.33], respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both anxious and avoidant dimensions of attachment were associated with health risk behaviors in this study. This framework may be a useful tool to allow primary care clinicians to guide screening and intervention efforts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Seattle Children's Research Institute/University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States. kym.ahrens@seattlechildrens.org
authors.forename: Kym R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Ahrens
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ciechanowski
authors.forename: Wayne
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Katon
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009769:Object Attachment; D011320:Primary Health Care; D012309:Risk-Taking; D057566:Self Report; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology*