Correlates of HIV-related risk behaviors in African American adolescents from substance-using families: patterns of adolescent-level factors associated with sexual experience and substance use.

PURPOSE: To examine adolescent-level correlates of HIV-related risk behaviors among urban African American adolescents whose mothers use crack cocaine.

METHODS: Interviews were conducted with 208 African American adolescents (aged 12-17 years) to assess psychosocial, behavioral, and perceived environment correlates of HIV-related risk behavior. Adolescents were children of community-recruited African American women not currently in drug treatment who reported crack cocaine use (in last 6 months). Bivariate and multivariate regression models were used to evaluate associations among adolescent-level factors, sexual experience, and substance use.

RESULTS: Of the adolescents, 30% reported being sexually experienced, and 23% reported alcohol or drug use in the past month. Older age and lower school satisfaction were associated with both sexual experience and substance use, but no other factors were associated with both risk behaviors. Male gender, current substance use, high HIV/AIDS knowledge, and high risk perception were associated with being sexual experienced. Sexual experience and lower expectations for future life outcomes were associated with substance use. A general pattern of protective factors related to attitudes about future goals, help-seeking behavior, and positive feelings about school emerged for substance use.

CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the patterns of adolescent-level risk and protective factors for sexual experience and substance use may be unique in African American adolescents from substance-abusing families. Instead of an increase in problem behaviors associated with using substances, protective factors were evident, suggesting these adolescents may have resiliency for dealing with environmental stressors related to substance use. Implications for HIV prevention programs involving mentoring and goal development are discussed.