Alcohol Use Problems and Sexual Risk Among Young Adult African American Mothers

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Andrea Swartzendruber, Emory University; Jessica Sales, Emory University; Eve S. Rose, Emory University; Ralph Diclemente, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2016-01-01
• Publisher: Springer Verlag (Germany)
• Publication Version: Author Accepted Manuscript (After Peer Review)
• Copyright Statement: © Springer Science+Business Media New York 2015
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10461-015-1228-2
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: AIDS and Behavior
• ISSN: 1090-7165
• Volume: 20
• Issue: S1
• Start Page: S74
• End Page: S83
• Grant/Funding Information: Jessica M. Sales was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health grant number K01 MH085506.; Andrea Swartzendruber was supported by National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism grant number F32 AA022058.; This work was supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism R01AA018096 to Ralph J. DiClemente.
• Keywords: Science & Technology; Social Sciences, Biomedical; FEMALE ADOLESCENTS; DRUG-USE; HEALTH; Alcohol; Public, Environmental & Occupational Health; PARENTING STRESS; Sexually transmitted infections; Sexual risk behavior; POSTPARTUM SUBSTANCE USE; Mothers; REPEAT PREGNANCY; African American; DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS; Biomedical Social Sciences; Social Sciences; SOCIAL SUPPORT; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; ADOLESCENT MOTHERS; SELF-EFFICACY
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Epidemiology; Health Sciences, Public Health

Abstract

Studies have documented high levels of alcohol use and sexual risk among young mothers. We examined parenting satisfaction and self-efficacy in relation to alcohol use problems and sexual risk among 346 young African American women enrolled in an HIV prevention trial, 41 % (n = 141) of whom were mothers. Among mothers, greater parenting satisfaction was associated with a reduced likelihood of problematic alcohol use, having multiple sex partners, and testing positive for Trichomonas vaginalis. Relative to non-parenting women, mothers reported lower condom use. Compared to non-parenting women, mothers with the highest parenting satisfaction reported fewer alcohol use problems; mothers with the lowest parenting satisfaction reported lower condom use and were more likely to have multiple partners and test positive for T. vaginalis. Parenting self-efficacy was not associated with the outcomes examined. Future research investigating relationships between parenting satisfaction, alcohol use and sexual risk may be useful for improving multiple maternal health outcomes.