title: Associations Between a Dopamine D4 Receptor Gene, Alcohol Use, and Sexual Behaviors among Female Adolescent African Americans.
abstract: Adolescent African-American females are disproportionately impacted by HIV, thus there is a clear need to understand factors associated with increased HIV-risk behaviors among this vulnerable population. We sought to explore the association between a dopamine D4 receptor gene (DRD4), a genetic marker associated with natural variations in rewarding behaviors, and self-reported alcohol-use and sexual risk-behaviors, while controlling for other known correlates of risk-taking such as impulsivity, sensation seeking, and peer norms among a group of high-risk African American female adolescents to evaluate whether this biological factor enhances our understanding of patterns of risk in this vulnerable group.
authors.affiliation: Rollins School of Public Health, Department of Behavioral Sciences and Health Education; Emory University Center for AIDS Research, Social & Behavioral Sciences Core; Center for Contextual Genetics and Prevention Science, University of Georgia.
authors.forename: Jessica M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Sales
authors.affiliation: Rollins School of Public Health, Department of Behavioral Sciences and Health Education; Emory University School of Medicine, Medical Scientist Training Program.
authors.forename: Erica
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Smearman
authors.affiliation: Rollins School of Public Health, Department of Behavioral Sciences and Health Education; Emory University Center for AIDS Research, Social & Behavioral Sciences Core.
authors.forename: Jennifer L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: Rollins School of Public Health, Department of Behavioral Sciences and Health Education; Emory University Center for AIDS Research, Social & Behavioral Sciences Core; Center for Contextual Genetics and Prevention Science, University of Georgia.
authors.forename: Gene H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Brody
authors.affiliation: Center for Contextual Genetics and Prevention Science, University of Georgia; University of Iowa, Department of Psychiatry.
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Philibert
authors.affiliation: Rollins School of Public Health, Department of Behavioral Sciences and Health Education.
authors.forename: Eve
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rose
authors.affiliation: Rollins School of Public Health, Department of Behavioral Sciences and Health Education; Emory University Center for AIDS Research, Social & Behavioral Sciences Core; Center for Contextual Genetics and Prevention Science, University of Georgia.
authors.forename: Ralph J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: DiClemente
keywords: African-American; adolescents; risk-taking