The Relationship Among Population Size,Requests for Bareback Sex,and HIV Serostatus in Men Who Have Sex With Men Using the Internet to Meet Sexual Partners

Recent research has indicated the use of the Internet to meet sexual partners among men who have sex with men (MSM) is increasing. This medium also serves as a major source for social and sexual networking among MSM who live in more rural areas. In addition, data suggest the use of the Internet to initiate sexual relationships among this population may increase the risk of transmission of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV. The purpose of this study was to examine differences between self-reported HIV serostatus and requests for condomless bareback (BB) sex among a sample of Florida MSM (n = 483) using a popular Internet sexual networking site to meet sexual partners. Specifically, these variables were assessed in relation to population size among the site's seven geographic regions within the state. Findings indicated an overall statistically significant relationship among requests for BB sex and self-reported HIV serostatus. However, there was not a significant relationship among these variables and geographic region. Thus, although previous data have emphasized the importance of different HIV prevention strategies among rural versus urban MSM, there may not be major differences in HIV serostatus and requests for unsafe sexual practices among these men who use the Internet to meet sexual partners in comparison to MSM in more populated areas.     

Latino adolescent substance use: A mediating model of inter-parental conflict,deviant peer associations,and parenting

Substance use among Latino adolescents continues to be a growing concern for researchers and clinicians. This paper reviews relevant literature regarding the impact of inter-parental conflict (IPC), deviant peer associations (DPA) and parenting behaviors, namely as parental support, psychological control, and parental monitoring knowledge on substance use among Latino adolescents. Although mediating models of IPC and similar parenting behaviors on adolescent externalizing behaviors have been represented in empirical studies, none have included the influence of peer associations or have analyzed these factors with substance use among Latino adolescents in the U.S. This study investigated direct relationships of IPC and DPA with adolescent substance use, and tested parental support, psychological control and parental monitoring knowledge as mediators between those relationships in Latino adolescents. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze direct and indirect relationships of the variables mentioned among 744 Latino adolescents. Results indicated that DPA was positively associated with substance use, parental monitoring knowledge was negatively associated with substance use and that parental monitoring knowledge partially mediated the relationship between DPA and substance use. Implications of the findings are discussed in terms of areas of focus for interventions.     

Marijuana use and depression

The primary goal of this study is to examine the association between marijuana use and adult depressive symptomatology. The key independent variables examined are age of marijuana initiation, frequency of current marijuana use, the use of other licit and illicit drugs, and whether marijuana was used to cope with problems. The relationships among these variables are assessed using data from the Young Men and Drugs Survey (n = 1,941), a nationally representative sample of men from the 1944-1954 birth cohort. Results show that early marijuana initiation appears to be weakly associated with increased depression in adulthood. This effect, however, is mediated by educational attainment, employment status, marital status, and other drug use, notably alcohol and tobacco use. Adult frequency of marijuana use is not significantly associated with increased depression in adulthood. Finally, marijuana users who use the drug to cope with problems are more depressed than those who do not use to cope with problems.     

The Interplay of Syndemic Production and Serosorting in Drug-Using Gay and Bisexual Men

The relationships between mental health, substance use, and sexual behaviors among gay and bisexual men in a sample of 450 club drug-using men from New York City were examined using syndemics theory. Risk scores for each participant were based on variables measuring substance use and mental health burden. Participants with higher risk scores were significantly more likely to engage in risk behaviors. Risk taking was also explained by serosorting, suggesting that syndemics theory in and of itself, while significant in explaining risk, is not sufficient. These findings suggest we need to understand the interplay between social, emotional, and cognitive factors to understand sexual risk taking.     

Personality,Sexuality, and Substance Use as Predictors of Sexual Risk Taking in College Students

Sexual risk taking among college students is common and can lead to serious consequences, such as unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections. This study utilized responses from 310 undergraduate psychology students aged 18 to 23 to examine personality, sexuality, and substance use predictors of sexual risk behaviors over a six-month period. Data were collected from 2005 to 2006 at a medium-sized Midwestern U.S. university. Results indicated that greater alcohol and recreational drug use, higher extraversion, and lower agreeableness were related to sexual risk taking in men. For women, greater alcohol and drug use, higher sexual excitation, and lower sexual inhibition were predictive of sexual risk taking. Among women, but not men, sensation seeking was found to mediate the relationship between the four significant substance use, personality, and sexuality variables and sexual risk taking. Implications for sexual risk behavior prevention and intervention programming are discussed.     

Mental health literacy,stigma, and help-seeking behaviors among male college students

Objective: Mental health literacy (MHL) is low in college-aged men potentially resulting in impaired mental wellbeing. This study assessed MHL, psychosocial determinants, and help-seeking behaviors among male university students. Participants: Male undergraduate and graduate students were surveyed in Spring 2017 (n = 1,242) at a large southeastern university in the United States. Methods: Preexisting validated scales for MHL, psychosocial determinants, and help-seeking intention were used in measurement and demographic variables were collected. T-tests and one-way ANOVA were performed to measure differences between groups. Results: Participants showed low scores for all constructs with statistically significant differences between undergraduate and graduate students, as well as between races and major classifications. Undergraduate men had moderate MHL and low intentions to seek professional care. Conclusions: Interventions focusing on increasing mental health knowledge and improving beliefs can improve MHL among male college students. Further, interventions should be tailored for racial groups and major classifications.     

Physical activity, exercise, and sedentary behavior in college students

The authors examined the relationship between physical activity, exercise, and sedentary behaviors in 493 college students who were enrolled in 10 conditioning activity classes and had completed questionnaires at the beginning of the course. They analyzed sedentary activities and indicators of participation in exercise and physical activity by demographic variables. Surveyed men reported greater participation in physical activity and exercise than did women, and they also spent more time watching television/videos and using the computer. Older students were more likely to report more computer use, whereas younger students scored higher on several physical activity indicators. Of the sedentary behaviors, only computer use for men and television watching for women were negatively correlated with exercise and physical activity. In addition to accessibility and reinforcing properties of sedentary activities, the gender-related relationships between sedentary and active behaviors should be considered in designing interventions to promote exercise in this population.     

Gender differences in correlates of recent physical assault among untreated rural and urban at-risk drinkers: role of depression

This study examined gender-specific correlates of past 6-month physical assault victimization among 468 men and 229 women at-risk drinkers recruited from both urban and rural settings. Both alcohol dependence and depression were associated with physical assault, but there were differences for women and men in the pattern of significant correlates. Specifically, for women the presence of alcohol dependence, depression or their comorbidity all were associated with physical assault. For men, depression by itself was not associated with physical assault, but alcohol dependence and especially alcohol dependence comorbid with depression were significant predictors. Further, there were stronger relationships between demographics and physical assault for men. The results have implications regarding identification of risk factors for physical assault victimization among at-risk drinkers. Overall, the results of this study suggest that screening and prevention interventions for physical assault among at-risk drinkers should target both alcohol use disorders and depression.     

The Role of Attitude Functions,Efficacy, Anticipated Emotions,and Relationship Status on College Students' Condom Use Intentions

Conducted from the reasoned action perspective, previous research related to condom use generally included a limited number of variables and treated attitudes and self-efficacy as unidimensional constructs. Informed by attitude functions theory and health literature on condom use and anticipated emotions, this project aims to provide a more detailed understanding of college students' intentions to use condoms during sexual intercourse. Results show that relationship status moderated the relationships between several psychological variables and condom use intentions. For female college students negative anticipated emotions were a stronger predictor of condom use intentions for those in monogamous relationships for three months or longer than for those in other relationships or not in a relationship. On the other hand, subjective norms were a stronger predictor of intentions for those in other types of relationship or not in a relationship than for those in a monogamous relationship for three months or longer. For male participants, sexual sensation was a more important, negative predictor of condom use intentions among those in monogamous relationships for three months or longer (versus other relationship status or not in a relationship). Both theoretical and practical implications are discussed.     

Does Family Structure Matter in the Relationships Between Youth Assets and Youth Alcohol,Drug and Tobacco Use?

This study investigated significant relationships between youth assets and youth alcohol, tobacco, and drug use that differ according to family structure (one- or two-parent households). Data were collected from a randomly sampled inner-city population (n=1,256 teenagers and 1,256 parents of the teenagers) using in-home, in-person interviews. Logistic regression analyses, stratifying by one- and two-parent household status, were conducted with nine youth assets as the independent variables and youth alcohol, tobacco, and drug use as the dependent variables. Results indicated that the associations between assets and risk behaviors varied depending upon whether the youth lived in one- or two-parent households. Continued research is warranted to further investigate associations among family structure, youth assets, and youth risk behaviors.     

Social Networking Among Health Sciences University Students: Examining Social Network Usage,Social Support,and General Well-Being

Social network sites (SNSs) are organized around users who join an internet network to engage in daily discussions and postings. Though research informs us about SNSs usage, no published research addresses the use of social network sites among health science professionals. This study examined the relationship between social network usage, social support, and general well-being among undergraduate and graduate students. This study provides results that identify significant relationships (p < .001) associated with SNS usage and the variables of social support and general well-being among this study population. These results can inform the use of SNSs in university health sciences educational programs.     

Marital Quality,Gender, and Markers of Inflammation in the MIDUS Cohort

Marital quality is an important factor for understanding the relationship between marriage and health. Low‐quality relationships may not have the same health benefits as high‐quality relationships. To understand the association between marital quality and health, we examined associations between two indicators of marital quality (marital support and marital strain) and two biomarkers of inflammation (interleukin‐6 and C‐reactive protein) among men and women in long‐term marriages using data from the Survey of Midlife in the United States (N = 542). Lower levels of spousal support were associated with higher levels of inflammation among women but not men. Higher levels of spousal strain were weakly and inconsistently associated with higher levels of inflammation among women and men; the effects were diminished with the addition of psychosocial and behavioral covariates. These findings suggest marital quality is an important predictor of inflammation, especially among women.     

Gender,Religiosity, Spirituality,and Attitudes toward Homosexuality

This article investigates the relationship between religiosity, spirituality, gender, and attitudes toward homosexuality. The article augments the existing literature by examining the effects of religious affiliation, religiosity, and spirituality on attitudes toward homosexuality separately for men and women using the 2008 and 2010 General Social Surveys. Results indicate significant gender differences in attitudes toward homosexuality for two variables. Southern residence decreases tolerance among men, but not women. Also, men who self-identify as spiritual, but not religious, are more likely to report that homosexuality is not morally wrong than their more religious counterparts; however, a similar finding was not evident among the women who self-identified as spiritual.     

Modeling and guided practice as components within a comprehensive testicular self-examination cancer education program

This study sought to assess the effects of modeling and guided practice as components within a comprehensive testicular self-examination education program for college-aged men. We studied three treatment groups (N = 161) at two Arkansas universities. The variables investigated were knowledge of testicular cancer, attitudes toward testicular cancer, and frequency of self-reported testicular self-examination. A summary of the major findings revealed a significant difference in knowledge of testicular cancer and attitudes toward testicular cancer and a significant difference in frequency of testicular self-examination for all treatment groups. Modeling and guided practice yielded no significant differences in knowledge of testicular cancer or frequency of self-reported testicular self-examination but some significant attitudinal differences. Results indicated that subjects were not knowledgeable about testicular cancer and that most (91.7%) were not practicing testicular self-examination. Three months after participation in one of three education programs, 78.9% of the subjects indicated they had performed testicular self-examination. Modeling and guided practice as components of one education approach used appear to be an essential strategy to increase the practice of regular testicular self-examination.     

Family capital: Examining social capital,family commitment,and acculturation among college-enrolled Mexican-American men and women in the Southwestern United States

Social capital is integral to an individual’s ability to access various resources embedded in social and familial networks that are important in academic access and future success. The types and dynamics of social relationships created by men and women are thought to generate different forms of social capital with factors such as acculturation resulting in differences in intercultural networks and potential resource access. However, the factors that contribute to the development of social capital require further investigation. The current study examines the relationship between acculturation, family role commitment, and various social network characteristics associated with social capital among Mexican-American college-enrolled men (n = 119) and women (n = 196). Several multiple regressions were conducted. Findings indicate that acculturation and family role commitment relate differently to social-capital-network characteristics among Mexican-American men and women. For women, marital commitment was consistently related to social-capital-network characteristics whereas acculturation factors seemed to be more salient among men. Overall, study variables accounted for a larger portion of the variance for social-capital-network characteristics across analyses for men than women indicating that other factors may be at play in generating social capital for women.     

Effects of Sex,Sexual Orientation,Infidelity Expectations,and Love on Distress related to Emotional and Sexual Infidelity

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of participant sex, sexual orientation, infidelity expectations, and love on emotional responses to emotional and sexual infidelity. Participants (72 lesbian women, 114 heterosexual women, 53 gay men, and 57 heterosexual men) completed a demographic form, continuous emotion ratings in response to hypothetical infidelity scenarios, the Infidelity Expectations Questionnaire (IEQ), and the Triangular Love Scale. Sex, sexual orientation, and commitment and intimacy among partners were significant predictors of various emotional responses to sexual and emotional infidelity. Alternatively, passion among partners and expectations about a partner's likelihood of committing infidelity were not significant predictors of emotional reactions to infidelity. Across participants, sexual infidelity elicited more distressing feelings than emotional infidelity. Group differences were also found, with women responding with stronger emotions to emotional and sexual infidelity than men, and heterosexuals rating emotional and sexual infidelity as more emotionally distressing than lesbian and gay individuals. Sex and sexual orientation differences emerged regarding the degree to which specific emotions were reported in response to sexual and emotional infidelity. Clinical implications are offered, including how mental health professionals might use these findings to help clients cope with the negative effects of infidelity on romantic relationships.     

Similarities in the Sexual Behavior and HIV Risk Factors of Colombian,Dominican, Mexican,and Puerto Rican MSM Residing in New York City

Abstract

In a sample of Colombian, Dominican, Mexican, and Puerto Rican men who have sex with men (MSM) (n = 307) living in New York City, we contrasted sexual behavior and a number of variables related to it. The four groups were consistently similar in terms of frequency of partnership types (men with lovers, one-night-stands, other partners), monogamy, types of sexual behaviors with men and women, number of occasions of different behaviors, condom use during sex, and history of childhood sexual abuse. The four groups also had similar scores in most of the psychosocial variables usually related to condom use. These similarities validate the clustering of these four populations under a common category (Latino or Hispanic) for reporting and prevention purposes. This does not imply, however, that small scale interventions tailored to the specific cultural nuances of different national groups may not have an added strength. In the few cases where intraethnic differences were found, Mexican MSM were more likely than men in the other groups to receive ejaculate both in the rectum and in the mouth. These differences were not accounted for by the other variables examined and requires further investigation.     

Only Bad for Believers? Religion,Pornography Use,and Sexual Satisfaction Among American Men

Research has often demonstrated a negative association between pornography use and various intrapersonal and relationship outcomes, particularly for men. Several recent studies, however, have suggested that the negative association between pornography use and these indicators is stronger among more religious Americans, suggesting that moral incongruence (engaging in an activity that violates one’s sacred values) and the attendant shame or cognitive dissonance, rather than pornography use per se, may be the primary factor at work. The current study tested and extended this theory by examining how religion potentially moderates the link between pornography use and sexual satisfaction in a national random sample of American adults (N = 1,501). Analyses demonstrated that while pornography use was negatively associated with sexual satisfaction for American men (not women), among men who rarely attended religious services or held a low opinion of the Bible this negative association essentially disappeared. Conversely, the negative association between frequency of pornography consumption and sexual satisfaction was more pronounced for men with stronger ties to conventional religion. These findings suggest that the connection between pornography use and sexual satisfaction, especially for men, depends largely on what viewing pornography means to consumers and their moral community and less so on the practice itself.     

Adjustment to Separation Among Former Cohabiters

A series of hypothesized relationships between adjustment to separation and specified personality, demographic, and situational variables were investigated among 15 men and 35 women who had cohabited a minimum of three months and had since separated. Poorer adjustment was associated with a more traditional sex role orientation, greater discrepancies between self and ideal self, a less satisfying postseparation relationship with one's ex-partner, fewer and less use cf social supports, greater postseparation employment difficulties, and one's partner having initiated the decision to separate. Significant sex differences were found in attitudes toward the cohabiting relationship and its ending. The most useful explanatory concepts in interpreting thc data are the ability 10 control and anticipate life change events, and the persistence of emotional attachment bonds between separating intimates.