The fastest growing group of persons with AIDS are heterosexual women, yet little research has effectively addressed this population's needs. In the United States, 20,000 women have been diagnosed with AIDS, representing 11% of all AIDS cases. In Rhode Island, the situation is particularly acute with a 17% incidence of AIDS in women. Empirical research is needed to understand and effectively reduce the risks of HIV transmission in heterosexual women. This project is designed to achieve four goals to address HIV-risk in heterosexual women: (1) measurement assessment for several newly created instruments; (2) conceptual model testing to determine the best predictors of HIV-risk in women; (3) establishing baseline, normative HIV-risk behavior in women; and (4) evaluating the natural progression of behavior change over time. These will be accomplished in two longitudinal studies, both examining a community sample of over 400 women who are at risk for HIV. Study 1 will evaluate reliability and validity for several newly created measures and will use longitudinal structural modeling methods to assess several theoretical models concerned with social learning theory, the transtheoretical stages of change model, and women's research. Measures include a dependent variable of heterosexual high-risk behaviors and 9 sets of independent variables: (1) Psychosocial Functioning, (2) Sexual Assertiveness, (3) Relationships, (4) Substance Abuse, (5) Coping and Health, (6) Psychosexual Attitudes, (7) Self-Efficacy for HIV-prevention, (8) Perceived Advantages of Condom Use, and (9) Perceived Disadvantages of Condom Use. Study 2 examines baseline data for women at Time 1 and compares this to data at Times 2 & 3, collected at 6 month intervals. Predictors of change over time will be examined, as will several aspects of the Transtheoretical Stages of Change model (Prochaska & DiClemente, 1983, 1984). Information from these studies will help to plan effective interventions to help prevent the spread of HIV-infection in women.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01MH047233-02
Application #
3387045
Study Section
MH Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome Research Review Committee (MHAZ)
Project Start
1992-06-01
Project End
1995-05-31
Budget Start
1993-06-01
Budget End
1994-05-31
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
1993
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Rhode Island
Department
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
135531015
City
Kingston
State
RI
Country
United States
Zip Code
02881
Gazabon, Shirley A; Morokoff, Patricia J; Harlow, Lisa L et al. (2007) Applying the transtheoretical model to ethnically diverse women at risk for HIV. Health Educ Behav 34:297-314
Evers, K E; Harlow, L L; Redding, C A et al. (1998) Longitudinal changes in stages of change for condom use in women. Am J Health Promot 13:19-25
Schnoll, R; Harlow, L L; Brandt, U et al. (1998) Using two factor structures of the Mental Adjustment to Cancer (MAC) scale for assessing adaptation to breast cancer. Psychooncology 7:424-35
Harlow, L L; Rose, J S; Morokoff, P J et al. (1998) Women HIV sexual risk takers: related behaviors, interpersonal issues, and attitudes. Womens Health 4:407-39
Morokoff, P J; Quina, K; Harlow, L L et al. (1997) Sexual Assertiveness Scale (SAS) for women: development and validation. J Pers Soc Psychol 73:790-804
Johnsen, L W; Harlow, L L (1996) Childhood sexual abuse linked with adult substance use, victimization, and AIDS-risk. AIDS Educ Prev 8:44-57
Goldman, J A; Harlow, L L (1993) Self-perception variables that mediate AIDS-preventive behavior in college students. Health Psychol 12:489-98