Psychometric Properties of the Haitian Creole Brief Religious Coping Scale (RCOPE) with a Sample of Adult Haitians Impacted by the 2010 Earthquake.

The current study investigated the psychometric properties of the Haitian Creole version of the Brief Religious Coping Scale (Brief RCOPE). A total of 256 adult survivors of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti completed the Brief RCOPE and measures of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms, resilience, general coping, and posttraumatic growth. The results showed the Brief RCOPE to have excellent internal consistency reliability α = .94 and α = .85 for the positive religious coping and negative religious coping, respectively. Confirmatory factor analysis showed construct validity for the Brief RCOPE subscales. The results also showed evidence of convergent validity of the Brief RCOPE in relation to measures of positive spiritual change and religion. Independent t-tests revealed statistically significant gender differences in scores on the positive religious coping subscales as women scored higher than men. These findings suggest that the psychometric properties of the Haitian Creole version of the Brief RCOPE are adequate for the assessment of religious coping with Haitian adults exposed to a natural disaster.

Comparison of comprehensive and abstinence-only sexuality education in young African American adolescents.

The purpose of this study was to identify predictors of sexual behavior and condom use in African American adolescents, as well as to evaluate the effectiveness of comprehensive sexuality and abstinence-only education to reduce adolescent sexual behavior and increase condom use. Participants included 450 adolescents aged 12-14 years in the southern United States. Regression analyses showed favorable attitudes toward sexual behavior and social norms significantly predicted recent sexual behavior, and favorable attitudes toward condoms significantly predicted condom usage. Self-efficacy was not found to be predictive of adolescents' sexual behavior or condom use. There were no significant differences in recent sexual behavior based on type of sexuality education. Adolescents who received abstinence-only education had reduced favorable attitudes toward condom use, and were more likely to have unprotected sex than the comparison group. Findings suggest that adolescents who receive abstinence-only education are at greater risk of engaging in unprotected sex.

Gratitude is associated with greater levels of protective factors and lower levels of risks in African American adolescents.

The literature suggests gratitude is associated with positive youth development. The current study examined the relationship between gratitude and protective/risk factors among African American youth. Adolescents (N = 389; 50.4% males) ages 12-14 completed measures of gratitude (moral affect and life-orientation), protective factors (e.g., academic and activity engagement, family relationship), and high-risk behaviors (e.g., sexual attitudes and behaviors, drug/alcohol use). Results indicated greater moral affect gratitude was the only variable significantly associated with greater academic interest, better academic performance, and more extra-curricular activity engagement. Greater moral affect and life-orientation gratitude both significantly correlated with positive family relationship. Greater life-orientation gratitude was the only variable significantly associated with abstinence from sexual intimacy, sexual intercourse, likelihood of engaging in sex during primary school, and abstinence from drug/alcohol use. The findings suggest that moral affect gratitude may enhance protective factors while life-orientation gratitude may buffer against high-risk behaviors among African American youth.

Acceptance of HIV Antibody Testing Among Women in Domestic Violence Shelters.

The purpose of this study was to examine which factors derived from an adapted version of the Health Belief Model are associated with HIV testing among women at domestic violence shelters in the rural south (N = 112). Participants were administered self-report questionnaires to assess for test acceptance and were offered private and free HIV rapid testing. A logistic regression analysis was performed. Results indicated that higher perceived susceptibility and higher PTSD symptoms predicted a greater likelihood of HIV test acceptance. The most common reason given for not testing was a lack of time. Implications are discussed.

Barriers and facilitators to HIV testing in primary care among health care providers.

PURPOSE: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a preventable disease that can have improved outcomes with early diagnosis and treatment. The CDC recommends that HIV testing be incorporated into clinical settings as part of routine medical care. METHODS: Individual, open-ended interviews were conducted with primary care providers and administrators to obtain their views regarding the meaning of routine HIV testing and the barriers and facilitators to implementing routine HIV testing in their respective practices. RESULTS: Most respondents supported routine HIV testing, although their definitions of routine varied. Barriers for providers included time and financial constraints to appropriately conduct HIV counseling and testing and inadequate HIV education and training. Facilitators for implementing routine HIV testing included patients' feelings of empowerment and reduced HIV stigma. CONCLUSIONS: The implementation of routine HIV testing in primary care practices appears to be an acceptable public health intervention. Next steps should include efforts to standardize the definition of routine HIV testing and working with primary care settings to better understand and reduce barriers to routine testing.

Sex with bisexual men among black female students at historically black colleges and universities.

BACKGROUND: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disproportionately affects black women. Nearly two-thirds of all female HIV cases reported to the CDC are black, and HIV is the leading cause of death among black women aged 25 to 34 years. The greatest HIV transmission risk among black women is sexual intercourse with a man, although the role of bisexual men is not clear. METHODS: The CDC and collaborating partners conducted behavioral surveys at 7 historically black colleges and universities from January 2005 to April 2007. RESULTS: Of the 2705 black female students aged 18 to 29 years who were surveyed, 2040 (75%) reported being sexually active in the previous 12 months and, among sexually active women, 291 (14%) reported having sex with a bisexual man in the previous 12 months. Women who reported sex with a bisexual man were more likely than women who did not to report having at least 2 sex partners in the previous 12 months, having male and female sex partners, not using a condom at last intercourse, being in a committed relationship, never or infrequently attending church, and believing they were at increased risk for HIV infection. CONCLUSION: Heterosexually active black women who have engaged in sexual intercourse with bisexual men have a different HIV risk profile than other heterosexually active black women.

Lessons learned from a training collaboration between an Ivy League institution and a historically Black university.

The Miriam Hospital, Brown Medical School, and Jackson State University developed a joint training program for predoctoral, Black psychology students under the auspices of a training grant funded by the National Institutes of Health. The students in the program at Jackson State University had unlimited access to the clinical research resources and mentoring expertise at Brown Medical School. This innovative program began in 2001 and addresses the need for Black leaders in clinical research and academia who will focus on HIV and other infections that disproportionately affect the Black community. This collaboration has served as a bridge between an Ivy League institution and a historically Black university for training in clinical research to develop successful minority academicians.

The relationship of character strengths to sexual behaviors and related risks among African American adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Relatively few studies have examined positive character traits that are associated with lower HIV/STD risks. PURPOSE: In the present study, the relationships of character strengths with sexual behaviors and attitudes were assessed among 383 African-American adolescents. METHOD: Character strengths were measured using the Values in Action Inventory of Strengths. Because the strengths were highly inter-correlated, stepwise discriminant function analyses were utilized to assess their independent associations with sexual behaviors and attitudes. RESULTS: Greater Love of Learning was related to self-reported abstinence from sexual intercourse for boys and self-reported abstinence from drug use for boys and girls. Greater Love of Learning and Curiosity were related to the belief in no premarital sex for boys, whereas only Curiosity was significant for girls. Prudence was related to reported abstinence from sexual intimacy (e.g., touching or kissing). Judgment was related to sexual initiation efficacy for girls and boys, whereas Leadership was only significant for girls. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that character strengths may be associated with lower levels of sexual behaviors and sex-related beliefs among a sample of African-American adolescents.

HIV risk behaviors and testing history in historically black college and university settings.

OBJECTIVES: From 2001 through 2005, African Americans accounted for the largest percentage of new cases of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/ acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in all age categories, especially among people aged 13 to 24 years. Although students attending historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) report many of the behaviors that promote HIV transmission, their risk behaviors and HIV testing practices have not been well-characterized. We compared the demographic and behavioral characteristics of people who have been previously tested for HIV with those of people tested for the first time in this demonstration project to increase HIV testing at HBCUs. METHODS: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and collaborating partners conducted rapid HIV testing and behavioral surveys at HBCUs in Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, and Washington, D.C., from January 2005 to April 2007. We recruited a convenience sample of students and community members at different campus venues including student health centers, dormitories, and student activity centers. RESULTS: Our analysis included 5,291 people, 42% of whom reported they had never been tested for HIV. People who had been tested in the past were more likely to be older, believe they were at high risk for infection, have visited a health-care facility, and report behaviors that increased their risk of HIV infection. CONCLUSION: Respondents who believed they were at increased risk for HIV infection or reported behaviors that increased their risk for infection were more likely to have been tested for HIV. Future research should compare actual vs. perceived risk for HIV infection and contrast how each impacts HIV testing.

Acceptance of HIV testing among African-American college students at a historically black university in the south.

PURPOSE: Routine HIV testing on college campuses has the potential to increase students' awareness of their HIV status. Testing targeted only at persons reporting HIV risk behaviors will not identify infected persons who may deny or be unaware of their risk. Thus, this study sought to investigate the acceptability of rapid HIV testing among African-American college students in a nontraditional setting on a historically black college/university (HBCU) campus. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey on risk behaviors, barriers to testing, and HIV testing history was administered to 161 African-American college students at an HBCU. All approached students (both those participating and not) were offered free HIV rapid testing. RESULTS: Eighty-one African-American college students consented to be tested for HIV and all tested negative. Results of the questionnaire indicated that African-American college students engage in risky sexual behaviors (such as unprotected sex) yet perceive themselves as at little or no risk. College students who reported past HIV testing often did so in conjunction with routine exams, such as annual pap smears, rather than specifically seeking HIV testing. CONCLUSIONS: Routine HIV testing on college campuses may be an important public health initiative in reducing the spread of HIV. Specifically, this strategy may provide a model for student access to HIV testing, particularly males and other students who may be less likely to seek HIV testing at traditional medical settings. These data supports expansion of routine testing programs directed at African-American college students.

Mood disturbance fails to resolve across 31 days of cigarette abstinence in women.

Smoking abstinence responses were characterized in 96 female smokers. Participants completed subjective state measures twice per week for 5 weeks and were then randomly assigned to a group required to abstain for 31 days or a control group that continued to smoke. Financial incentives for biochemically verified abstinence resulted in an 81% completion rate. Abstinence-related increases in depression, tension, anger, irritability, and appetite showed little tendency to return to prequit levels and remained significantly elevated above smoke-group levels. In contrast to psychological components of anxiety, physical components decreased to smoke group levels by the 2nd week of abstinence. Trait depression and neuroticism predicted larger increased abstinence-associated negative affect. The Big Five personality dimensions predicted variance not associated with depressive traits.