On any given day in 1993 or 1994, almost half a million women were on probation in the United States. Available research findings indicate that women probationers (WPs) have high rates of substance abuse. It is also likely that many WPs are at increased risk of engaging in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) risk behaviors because of substance use, prostitution, and impaired impulse control. The proposed study has two primary goals: (a) to conduct the first systematic study of HIV-risk behaviors among women sentenced to probation, and (b) to increase our knowledge and understanding of WPs' health-related behaviors and psychosocial problems, as well as the antecedents and correlates of other behaviors and problems. Such information is needed to inform public health policy related to the provision of services for such women (e.g., prevention and intervention programs to target not only WPs' HIV-risk behaviors, but also their other problems, such as substance abuse, violence, and psychological distress).
The specific aims of this project are to (a) determine the prevalence of HIV-risk behaviors, specific psychiatric disorders, substance abuse, violent behavior, health problems (including sexually transmitted diseases), and other behaviors and problems among WPs; (b) identify potential risk factors for these problems; (c) assess other important characteristics and behaviors of these women, such as knowledge about HIV risk criminal behavior, and treatment history; and (d) examine the relationship among the various problematic behaviors and psychosocial problems, such as the interrelationships among the behaviors and problems, such as the relationship of psychiatric disorders and trauma exposure to HIV risk, substance abuse, and violence. The proposed study will involve administering 2-hour computerized survey interviews to a probability sample of 1,000 women newly sentenced to probation in North Carolina. Computer administration will include the use of special equipment to allow WPs to answer privately a number of sensitive questions about substance abuse and sexual behaviors. The sample will be stratified to ensure the ability to make estimates for important demographic subgroups of the population. A followup clinical interview will be conducted to validate the survey-based assessments of two of the key psychiatric disorders included in the study. We will produce unbiased estimates of the prevalence of the various behaviors and problems with the use of appropriate weighting procedures. We will examine in both bivariate and multivariate analyses the relationship of potential risk factors and correlates to health-related behaviors and psychosocial problems, as well as the interrelationship of the behaviors and problems themselves.
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