The Association Between Socioeconomic Related Stress and STI Correlates Among Youth in Detention
Method: Data were collected from a convenience sample of detained youth ages 14 to 16, currently incarcerated in a short-term detention facility in Atlanta, Georgia (N=489). After obtaining written informed assent and parental permission, participants answered survey questions using A-CASI procedures that assessed demographics, SES related stress and STI correlates (i.e., being involved in a gang, personally knowing a gang member, depression, having sex with a risky partner, and STI related risk behaviors (i.e., sex without condoms, having sex while high on drugs, having sex with multiple partners, and trading sex for drugs). Univariate analyses were conducted to describe the overall sample. Bivariate analyses using Pearson product-moment correlations were conducted to assess the strength and direction of the bivariate relationships among all independent variables. Separate multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between SES related stress and correlate of sexual risk behaviors, adjusting for gender, race/ethnicity, school enrollment, family living, arrangements and family social support.
Results: The majority of the participants were racial/ethnic minorities (59.3%, N=290) and the overall sample mean age was 15.2 (SD=.78). Slightly over half of the overall sample were female (50.7%, N= 248) and more than two-third of the sample were enrolled in school prior to being detained (81.4%, N= 398).
SES related stress was significantly associated with a number of STI correlates. Participants who reported higher SES-related stress were 1.8 times more likely to report being in a gang (OR=1.76; p<.01); 1.6 times more likely to personally know a gang member (OR=1.63; p<.01); 1.5 times more likely to report being depressed (OR=1.51; p<.01); 1.5 times more likely to have had sex with a partner who was high on drugs (OR=1.48; p<.05); and 1.5 times more likely to have engaged in sexual behaviors that place them at significant risks for contracting STIs (OR=1.53; p<.01).
Implications: SES related stress was associated with a broad range of STI correlates for youth with detention histories. More specifically, we found that gang involvement, being acquainted with a gang member, depression, sex with a romantic partner high on drugs, and STI risk behaviors were associated with SES related stress among our sample. This is the first study to have examined the relationship between a broader construct of SES-related stress (i.e., receipt of subsidized housing, free school lunch, and exposure to community violence) and STI correlates among younger adolescents with a detention history. These results provide significant information that can help service providers target certain profiles of youth with juvenile justice histories for important STI prevention and intervention initiatives.