Abstract: The Association of Parental Relationships with Sexual Risk-Taking Behaviors Among Black and Latino Homeless Youth: A Social Network Analysis (Society for Social Work and Research 21st Annual Conference - Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth)

Schedule:

Sunday, January 15, 2017: 8:20 AM

Preservation Hall Studio 2 (New Orleans Marriott)

* noted as presenting author

Jaih Craddock, MSW, MA, Doctoral Student, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA

Eric Rice, PhD, Associate Professor, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA

Karl G. Hill, PhD, Research Associate Professor, University of Washington, Seattle, WA

Background: Black and Latino homeless youth are at high risk of HIV and yet no HIV prevention interventions have been specifically designed for these groups. Given the success of parent–child intervention programs for housed Black and Latino youth, this study examined parental relationships that could be leveraged for future HIV prevention efforts targeting minority homeless youth, specifically the associations among presence of parents in social networks, parental influence, and parental support.

Methods: A convenience sample of Black, Latino, and White unaccompanied homeless youth (N = 762) was recruited from three drop-in centers in Los Angeles. Participants completed a computerized, self-administered questionnaire and an interviewer-led personal social network interview. Multivariate logistic regression models assessed the association between parental relationships and sexual risk behaviors.

Results: Forty-five percent (n = 345) of youth identified a parent in their network. Having at least one parent in their network was significantly associated with decreased odds of using a condom for Black and White youth. Black youth were almost 4 times more likely to report being tested for HIV if they spoke to their parents about sex, whereas Latino youth were 91% less likely to report being tested for HIV if they talked with their parents about sex. Black youth who identified a parent as a positive influence (i.e., promoting condom use or discouraging multiple partners) were almost 4 times more likely to have used a condom during their last sexual encounter.

Conclusion: Our findings suggest that increasing safer-sex behaviors among unaccompanied homeless youth who are not newly homeless but have a relationship with a parent may present a challenge, because the presence of a parent in a youth’s personal network was associated with decreased condom use among Black and White youth. Nevertheless, results indicate that for Black and Latino youth, the content of the parental relationship may be a leverage point for successful interventions. Adapting current family-based HIV prevention intervention for newly homeless youth to meet the needs of youth with longer street tenures may benefit from additional cultural adaptations.