@article{ref1,
title="Depressive symptoms as a longitudinal predictor of sexual risk behaviors among African-American adolescents",
journal="Health psychology",
year="2019",
author="Foley, Jacklyn D. and Vanable, Peter A. and Brown, Larry K. and Carey, Michael P. and DiClemente, Ralph J. and Romer, Daniel and Valois, Robert F.",
volume="ePub",
number="ePub",
pages="ePub-ePub",
abstract="OBJECTIVE: Understanding individual level factors associated with sexual risk behaviors among African-American adolescents remains an important public health priority. The current secondary data analysis examined the longitudinal association between a baseline assessment of depressive symptoms and sexual risk behaviors reported 6 months later; the purpose was to determine whether the association of depressive symptoms to risky sex varies as a function of gender. A secondary aim was to examine self-efficacy for sex refusal and condom use assessed at a 3-month follow-up as mediators of the depressive symptoms-sexual risk relationship. <br><br>METHODS: The sample consisted of 782 sexually active African-American adolescents (<i>M</i><sub>age</sub> = 15.3 years, <i>SD</i> = 1.08; 54% female) recruited to participate in a sexual health intervention trial. Data analyses focused on vaginal sex, and outcomes included: (a) sexual activity with 2 or more partners in the previous 3 months; (b) the relative frequency of condom use in the previous 3 months; (c) noncondom use at last occasion of sex; and (d) positive sexually transmitted infection (STI) screening. <br><br>RESULTS: Depressive symptoms predicted sex with 2 more partners for female participants, but no other risk markers for the sample as a whole. However, there was a significant indirect effect of depressive symptoms on condomless sex via decreased condom use self-efficacy for both male and female adolescents. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: These findings have important implications for HIV/STI prevention, in which behavioral interventions may benefit from modules that include a focus on the influence of mood on self-efficacy for safer sex practices. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0278-6133",
doi="10.1037/hea0000780",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/hea0000780"
}