Citation

Van Horne BS, Wiemann CM, Berenson AB, Horwitz IB, Volk RJ. Am. J. Public Health 2009; 99(Suppl 2): S417-24.

Affiliation

Department of Pediatrics, Section of Adolescent Medicine & Sports Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, 6621 Fannin Street, Mail Station CC610.01, Houston, TX 77030-2399, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, American Public Health Association)

DOI

10.2105/AJPH.2007.131870

PMID

19372530

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: We used Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory to identify factors that predicted never or sometimes using condoms in a multiethnic cohort of adolescent mothers. METHODS: We interviewed adolescent mothers within 48 hours of delivery and surveyed them 6 and 12 months after delivery (n = 636). We used multinomial logistic regression to identify individual-, dyad-, family-, and peer and community-level factors associated with never or sometimes using versus always using condoms during intercourse at 12 months postpartum. RESULTS: Pregnancy status, partner refusal to use condoms, intimate partner violence, and race/ethnicity predicted both never and sometimes using condoms. Condom use 6 months earlier and church attendance also predicted never using condoms, whereas maternal monitoring was an additional predictor for sometimes using condoms. CONCLUSIONS: Overlapping yet distinct risk profiles predicted never or sometimes using versus always using condoms. Factors from multiple levels of influence affected the condom use behaviors of adolescent mothers indicating that multilevel interventions are needed to promote safer sexual practices among these young women.

Language: en