Document Type
Article
Language
eng
Publication Date
1-1-2018
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Source Publication
Journal of Transcultural Nursing
Source ISSN
1043-6596
Abstract
Introduction: African American (AA) high school-age girls are more likely to have had sex before age 13 years and have higher rates of all sexually transmitted infections. Cognition and religion/spirituality are associated with adolescent sexuality, therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify cognitive and religious substrates of AA girls’ risky sexual behaviors. Method: A descriptive study was conducted with 65 AA girls aged 15 to 20 years using computerized questionnaires and cognitive function tasks. Results: Average age was 17.8 ± 1.9 years and average sexual initiation age was 15.5 ± 2.6 years. Overall, 57.6% reported a history of vaginal sex. Girls who reported low/moderate religious importance were significantly younger at vaginal sex initiation than girls for whom religion was very/extremely important. Girls who attended church infrequently reported significantly more sexual partners. Implications: Health care providers can use these findings to deliver culturally congruent health care by assessing and addressing these psychosocial factors in this population.
Recommended Citation
Dalmida, Safiya George; Aduloju-Ajijola, Natasha; Clayton-Jones, Dora L.; Thomas, Tami; Erazo Toscano, Ricardo J.; Lewis, Rashunda; Fleming, Terri; Taylor, Shirley; and Lunyong, Macie, "Sexual Risk Behaviors of African American Adolescent Females: The Role of Cognitive and Religious Factors" (2018). College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications. 645.
https://epublications.marquette.edu/nursing_fac/645
Comments
Accepted version. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, Vol. 29, No. 1 (January 1, 2018): 74-83. DOI. © 2018 SAGE Publications. Used with permission.
Dora Clayton-Jones was affiliated with University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee at the time of publication.