Original article
Predictors of Sexual Risk Behaviors Among Newly Homeless Youth: A Longitudinal Study

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2007.09.023Get rights and content

Abstract

Purpose

To longitudinally examine the association between newly homeless youth individual factors (sociodemographic characteristics, depression, substance use), and structural factors, such as living situation (family, institution, nonfamily), with sexual risk behaviors.

Methods

A cohort of newly homeless youth from Los Angeles County (N = 261; aged 12–20 years) was interviewed at baseline, 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months. At each assessment youth were asked about symptoms of depression (using the Brief Symptom Inventory), substance use, living situation, and sexual risk behaviors (number of sexual partners and condom use). Random effects models were used to determine the effects of predictors on the number of sexual partners and on condom use over time, by gender.

Results

At baseline, 77% of youth had been sexually active, increasing to 85% of youth at 24 months of follow-up. For predictors of multiple sexual partners, among male youth, these included living in nonfamily settings and using drugs; among females, living situation was not predictive of having multiple sexual partners but drug use was. For condom use, among females, living in a nonfamily setting and drug use decreased the odds of always using condoms; for males, no factors were found to be predictive of condom use.

Conclusions

Living with nonfamily members and drug use appear to be the most salient in explaining sexual risk among newly homeless youth. Our findings indicate that interventions aimed at reducing sexual risk behaviors, and thereby reducing sexually transmitted diseases and HIV among newly homeless youth, need to help youth in finding housing associated with supervision and social support (family and institutional settings) as well as aim to reduce drug use.

Section snippets

Participants

The homeless youth sample in this paper includes the entire cohort of youth from a longitudinal study that examines youths’ pathways into and out of chronic homelessness in Los Angeles County, California (N = 261). To be included in the longitudinal study, youth had to meet the following criteria: (1) age ranging from 12–20 years, and (2) spent more than 1 night away from home without the parent’s or guardian’s permission if under 17 or had been told to leave; (3) had been away from home for 6

Results

Our homeless youth sample included 29.9% African Americans, 32.9% U.S.-born Latinos, 14.6% foreign-born Latinos, 22.6% Caucasian/Asian/Pacific Islander/American Indian/Alaskan Native youth and 59.8% were female (only 1.0% self-identified as lesbian/bisexual), 32.9% of males self-identified as heterosexual and 7.3% as gay/bisexual (Table 1). The mean age was 15.5 years (SD = 1.9). At the baseline assessment, 78.1% were living in an institution such as a shelter, 10% with family, and 11.9% in

Discussion

The study findings on the association between living situation and having multiple sexual partners and condom use, confirmed our hypotheses, in part. Living in a nonfamily setting, compared to living with family or in an institutional setting, was found to be associated with having multiple sexual partners, among males only. Also, living in a nonfamily setting was found to decrease the odds of always using condoms, among females only. These findings illustrate the importance of addressing

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by Grants R01 MH61185 from the National Institute of Mental Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; Dr. Solorio is an R.W.J. Generalist Physician Faculty Scholar. M. Rosa Solorio was lead, and participated in study design, data analysis and interpretation, and writing of the manuscript. Doreen Rosenthal participated in study design, data analysis and interpretation, and writing of the manuscript. Norweeta G. Milburn participated in study design, data analysis

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