Abstinence has become a primary approach to reducing adolescent pregnancy and STIs, and is a goal of Health People 2010. However, current abstinence research is plagued by inconsistencies and methodological difficulties. This career development proposal will provide the candidate skills to advance our understanding of how relationship and social contexts influence adolescent abstinence decisions using a rigorous theoretical and methodological approach. The ultimate goal is to inform and improve interventions to prevent unintended pregnancy and STIs. The candidate is a pediatrician and adolescent medicine specialist at Indiana University with fellowship training in behavioral research. The training phase has 5 objectives: (1) to advance the theoretical understanding of sexual abstinence as a health behavior, including developmental changes in the individual, interpersonal, and social contexts; (2) to learn theoretical and research design issues in work with adolescent dyads; (3) to develop skills in longitudinal and repeated measures data using advanced analytic techniques; (4) to develop skills necessary for program evaluation and intervention research in adolescent pregnancy and STI prevention; and (5) to advance the candidate's understanding of ethical issues in behavioral research with adolescents. These objectives will be met through formal coursework, directed learning activities, and mentored research. The research plan has three distinct studies. Study 1, a qualitative study, examines abstinence from the adolescent perspective. Study 2, an analysis of abstinence behaviors in the National Survey of Family Growth, seeks to obtain nationally representative estimates. Study 3, a prospective, longitudinal study of the social and relationship contexts of abstinence, will allow an examination of antecedent relationship and contextual issues. Upon completion, the candidate will have the skills and experience to become an independent pediatric scientist poised to advance our understanding of the role of abstinence in pregnancy and STD prevention. ? ?

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD)
Type
Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award (K23)
Project #
5K23HD049444-02
Application #
7288194
Study Section
Pediatrics Subcommittee (CHHD)
Program Officer
Newcomer, Susan
Project Start
2006-09-19
Project End
2011-08-31
Budget Start
2007-09-01
Budget End
2008-08-31
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2007
Total Cost
$131,330
Indirect Cost
Name
Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis
Department
Pediatrics
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
603007902
City
Indianapolis
State
IN
Country
United States
Zip Code
46202
Bell, David L; Rosenberger, Joshua G; Ott, Mary A (2015) Masculinity in adolescent males' early romantic and sexual heterosexual relationships. Am J Mens Health 9:201-8
Alexander, Andreia B; Ott, Mary A; Lally, Michelle A et al. (2015) Adolescent decision making about participation in a hypothetical HIV vaccine trial. Vaccine 33:1331-7
Cummings, Teresa; Auerswald, Colette L; Ott, Mary A (2014) Factors influencing abstinence, anticipation, and delay of sex among adolescent boys in high-sexually transmitted infection prevalence communities. J Adolesc Health 54:593-8
Ott, Mary A; Alexander, Andreia B; Lally, Michelle et al. (2013) Preventive misconception and adolescents' knowledge about HIV vaccine trials. J Med Ethics 39:765-71
Robbins, Cynthia L; Fortenberry, J Dennis; Roth, Alexis M et al. (2012) Premenarchal girls' genital examination experiences. J Adolesc Health 51:179-83
Ott, Mary A; Ghani, Nadia; McKenzie, Fatima et al. (2012) Adolescent boys' experiences of first sex. Cult Health Sex 14:781-93
Ott, Mary A; Harezlak, Jaroslaw; Ofner, Susan et al. (2012) Timing of incident STI relative to sex partner change in young women. Sex Transm Dis 39:747-9
Ott, Mary A; Katschke, Adrian; Tu, Wanzhu et al. (2011) Longitudinal associations among relationship factors, partner change, and sexually transmitted infection acquisition in adolescent women. Sex Transm Dis 38:153-7
Ott, Mary A; Rouse, Maura; Resseguie, Jamie et al. (2011) Community-level successes and challenges to implementing adolescent sex education programs. Matern Child Health J 15:169-77
Carpentier, Melissa Y; Fortenberry, J Dennis; Ott, Mary A et al. (2011) Perceptions of masculinity and self-image in adolescent and young adult testicular cancer survivors: implications for romantic and sexual relationships. Psychooncology 20:738-45

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