Poster #108 - Violence Exposure, Natural Mentorship, Religious Involvement, and Sexual Risk Behaviors among African American Adolescent Girls

• In Event: 1-169 - Poster Session 04
  In Poster Session: PS 04 Section - Health, Growth, Injury

Integrative Statement

For some African American adolescent girls, sexual health occurs within contexts characterized by factors that jeopardize positive health behaviors and outcomes. Given that African American girls are at increased risk to be exposed to community violence and to be diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection (Wilson et al., 2012; Woodson et al., 2010), it is important to identify the sentinel socio-ecological assets and resources that can promote positive health behaviors. Organizational religious involvement can offset the psychological and health consequences of violence exposure (Grant et al., 2000). Religious institutions may promote positive healht behaviors by shaping diasporic narratives, promoting community strengths and spiritual renewal, and mobilizing social and civic change (King et al., 2010; Mitchell & Stewart, 2012). Additionally, natural mentorship, defined as youth’s relationships with nonparental adults, can promote less sexual risk behaviors and contribute to resilience (Hurd & Zimmerman, 2010).

To date, no study has examined whether religious involvement, when enhanced by natural mentorship, buffers the effect of violence on sexual risk behaviors. Using a prospective longitudinal design, we hypothesized that higher levels of violence exposure will predict increases in sexual risk behaviors one year later. We also hypothesized that religious involvement and natural mentorship would function as independent moderators, and that natural mentorship will augment the protective role of religious involvement in the association between violence exposure and sexual risk behavior.

Data from 273 African American girls was used to test hypothesized independent and moderated moderation models (M age – 15.83). Participants completed a structured, face-to-face interview for 60 minutes at school or in a community setting with a trained interviewer. Following the interview, participants completed paper-and-pencil questionnaires asking sensitive information (e.g., sexual risk behaviors) at two time points.

Results suggest that natural mentorship and religious involvement were protective for girls who reported at least one mentor and moderate to high levels of religious involvement. African American girls who reported violence exposure tended to exhibit more sexual risk behaviors one year later; however, religious involvement and natural mentorship did not significantly moderate. A three-way interaction between violence exposure, religious involvement, and mentorship indicated that mentorship modifies the protective effect of religious involvement within the context of violence exposure.

Together, natural mentorship and religious involvement may be the “way out of no way” that African American girls process negative life events and make healthier choices for themselves. Although some of the issues are unique to this sample, our findings may be useful for community partners who aim to promote positive trajectories for adolescent girls and African American youth, as well as those whose development occurs in environments that pose significant risk.

Authors

• Meredith O. Hope, University of Michigan School of Public Health
  Presenting Author

• Daniel B. Lee, University of Michigan School of Public Health
  Non-Presenting Author

• Hsing-Fang Hsieh, University of Michigan School of Public Health
  Non-Presenting Author

• Noelle M Hurd, University of Virginia
  Non-Presenting Author

• Haley A. Sparks, University of Michigan
  Non-Presenting Author

• Marc A. Zimmerman, University of Michigan School of Public Health
  Non-Presenting Author