Interaction of duration of homelessness and gender on adolescent sexual health indicators.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this analysis was to determine the effects of duration of homelessness and gender on personal and social resources, cognitive-perceptual factors, and sexual health behaviors among homeless youth.

DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis of data collected at baseline from 461 homeless adolescents who participated in a sexual health intervention study was done.

METHOD: Data were collected via laptop computers from homeless adolescents (mean age=19.52+1.91 years) in both comparison and intervention groups before the initiation of the intervention.

FINDINGS: Significant interaction effects were found for personal and social resources F (4, 426)=2.83, p<.05. Male participants who had been homeless<6 months had significantly higher scores on social connectedness than did male participants who were homeless>1 year. Univariate analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated that both boys and girls who had been homeless>1 year had greater AIDS knowledge, F (1, 441)=7.91, p<.01, reported significantly more sexual risk-taking behaviors, F (1, 396)=9.93, p<.05, and engaged in fewer safe-sex behaviors, F (1, 396)=12.05, p<.05, than did those who had been homeless<6 months. Univariate ANOVA indicated that female participants had significantly lower levels of perceived health status, F (1, 429)=12.08, p<.01, significantly greater sexual self-care behaviors, F (1, 396)=16.29, p<.01, and significantly higher levels of assertive communication F (1, 396)=4.03, p<.05 than did male participants, regardless of duration of homelessness.

CONCLUSIONS: The duration of homelessness and gender has both direct and interaction effects on cognitive-perceptual and behavioral outcomes associated with sexual health.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Nurses and other healthcare providers working with homeless youth recognize the need to develop brief interventions that address health-risk behaviors. Findings from this study indicate that gender-specific interventions should be provided to youth soon after they become homeless.