African American Grandparents' and Adolescent Grandchildren's Sexuality Communication

Abstract

This exploratory study uses survey methodology to generate data on grandparent–grandchild sexuality communications and attitudes and feelings about these processes. The sample includes 40 African American grandparent–grandchild dyads for a total of 80 participants recruited from five churches. One open-ended question asks the participants about their willingness to use churches as venues in HIV prevention. Grandparents have more positive attitudes and feelings about sexuality communications than their adolescent grandchildren. Both grandparents and their adolescent grandchildren are receptive to the idea of using churches as venues in HIV prevention and provide recommendations about how a church-based sexuality program could be developed. The role of grandparents is constantly being redefined; therefore, we must continue to examine the needs of this population and the grandchildren they are raising. Nurses can build on the study's findings to develop church-based sexuality programs.

African American Grandfamilies’ Attitudes and Feelings About Sexual Communication: Focus Group Results

“…The study was part of a larger qualitative and quantitative research project that examined African American grandparents’ and their middle school and early adolescent grandchildren’s concerns about HIV and issues and barriers to prevention (Cornelius et al, 2008). Surveys and focus groups were used to explore the grandparent-grandchild process of sexual communication and grandparents’ and grandchildren’s attitudes and feelings toward these communications.…”

“…Yet as a result of strained family relations and issues with parenting, many custodial grandparents experience psychological distress with their new role (Goodman & Silverstein, 2002; Kaminski & Hayslip, 2004; Minkler, Fuller-Thomson, Miller, & Driver, 2000) and are ill-prepared for sexual communications (Cornelius, LeGrand, & Jemmott, 2008). …”

“…Robbins, Briones, Schwartz, Dillon, and Mitrani (2006) reported that drug-using adolescents from grandparent-headed households had a greater prevalence of marijuana abuse (a major risk factor for unprotected sexual behaviors) and received less supervision than drug-using adolescents from parent-headed households. In a study of 40 African American grandparent-grandchildren dyads, Cornelius et al (2008) found that African American grandparents needed assistance with the sexual communication process with their grandchildren and were willing to use the church as a venue for HIV prevention. Kelley and Whitley (2003) found that close to 30% of their sample of 102 African American grandmothers and great grandmothers scored high on psychological distress associated with their new parenting role serious enough to warrant intervention and needed parent education classes on topics such as sexuality issues.…”

Parenthood in the Twenty-First Century: African American Grandparents as Surrogate Parents

“…Adolescent grandchildren said that societal pressure makes sexual encounters hard to resist and felt that they needed assistance with the sexuality communication process. Nurses and social workers can build upon the study's results to assist African American grandparents and their adolescent grandchildren with sexual communication (Cornelius, LeGrand, & Jemmott, 2008).…”

Beforeplay: Family stories, teen and adult parents and sexual health communication.

“…2003 Families that participate in research indicate that they would like sexuality to be taught within the church framework. Mothers in a faith-based sexuality program felt there is a need for integration of sexuality into the tenets of church education (Cornelius, 2009), and grandparents also recognized church as a source for sexuality education for youth and caregivers (Cornelius, LeGrand, & Jemmott, 2008). Other researchers noted that religiosity impacted the types of sexuality discussions that occurred in the family (El-Shaieb & Wurtele, 2009;Yip, 2004), sometimes offering a "reactionary" foundation upon which sexuality is developed (Donnelly, p. 1610; see also Lefkowitz, 2005;Ruocco, 2010 (Wood,age 20) Although mass media is sometimes described as having a negative influence on youth (see MacBeth, 2004;Peremans et al, 2000) out-of-school literacies also offer participation in informal learning and alternative methods of communicating, hooks (1994) describes music as a method of reflecting upon cultural values.…”