The long-term goal of this research is to develop life course models for youth at high risk of contracting HIV and to use those models to carefully target malleable risk and protective mediators in preventive interventions. The objectives of this application are to identify (a) social network risk characteristics and social network protective characteristics, (b) personal psychological reources, and (c) participation in general normative activities and service ultilization that are associated with youths' HIV risk behavior using a sample of 300 homeless and runaway youth.
Specific aim one is to use OLS regression to identify empirically the direct association between social network characteristics and HIV risk behaviors in a Midwestern sample of homeless and runaway youth.
The second aim i s to determine whether participation in general normative activites and service utilization uniquely protect homeless youth and mediate the relations between social network characteristics and HIV risk behaviors.
Aim three is to empirically examine whether personal psychological resources (e.g., self-control, self-efficacy, self-esteem) moderate or buffer the relations between social network characteristics and HIV risk behaviors.
Aim four is to identify whether gender, race/ethnicity, and sexual orientation moderate relations between social networks and HIV risk behaviors. Finally, aim five is to utilize qualitative methods to conduct interviews with a sub-sample of homeless and runaway youth to develop an in-depth understanding of the behaviors and patterns that are associated with variations in the size and composition of social networks (as determined from the baseline interview). The next step will be to recruit and interview 300 homeless and runaway youth, ages 14 to 21, through three service agencies. In addition, we will conduct 40 in-depth qualitative interviews (i.e., approximately 13 per agency/city). ? ? ? ?

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Type
Exploratory/Developmental Grants (R21)
Project #
5R21DA021079-02
Application #
7500657
Study Section
Behavioral and Social Science Approaches to Preventing HIV/AIDS Study Section (BSPH)
Program Officer
Deeds, Bethany
Project Start
2007-09-25
Project End
2010-07-31
Budget Start
2008-08-01
Budget End
2010-07-31
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2008
Total Cost
$97,571
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Nebraska Lincoln
Department
Social Sciences
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
555456995
City
Lincoln
State
NE
Country
United States
Zip Code
68588
Melander, Lisa A; Tyler, Kimberly A; Schmitz, Rachel M (2016) An Inside Look at Homeless Youths' Social Networks: Perceptions of Substance Use Norms. J Child Adolesc Subst Abuse 25:78-88
Tyler, Kimberly A; Gervais, Sarah J; Davidson, M Meghan (2013) The relationship between victimization and substance use among homeless and runaway female adolescents. J Interpers Violence 28:474-93
Tyler, Kimberly A (2013) Homeless Youths' HIV Risk Behaviors with Strangers: Investigating the Importance of Social Networks. Arch Sex Behav :
Tyler, Kimberly A; Akinyemi, Sarah L; Kort-Butler, Lisa A (2012) Correlates of service utilization among homeless youth. Child Youth Serv Rev 34:
Kort-Butler, Lisa A; Tyler, Kimberly A (2012) A cluster analysis of service utilization and incarceration among homeless youth. Soc Sci Res 41:612-23
Tyler, Kimberly A; Melander, Lisa A (2012) Individual and Social Network Sexual Behavior Norms of Homeless Youth at High Risk for HIV Infection. Child Youth Serv Rev 34:2481-2486
Tyler, Kimberly A; Melander, Lisa A (2011) A Qualitative Study of the Formation and Composition of Social Networks Among Homeless Youth. J Res Adolesc 21:802-817