Predictors of self‐reported sexually transmitted diseases among homeless and runaway adolescents

Tyler, Kimberly A.; Whitbeck, Les B.; Hoyt, Dan R.; Yoder, Kevin A.

doi:10.1080/00224490009552060

Cited by 50 publications

(69 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…1 Relative to housed youth, these youth are at increased risk for a myriad of health and behavioral health problems, including substance abuse, sexually transmitted diseases, poor mental health outcomes, violence, and victimization. [2][3][4][5] Recent work among homeless adults has suggested that cell phone technology may present unique opportunities for working with transient populations. 6 As cell phones offer connections to others without the physical constraints of permanent dwellings, new communication patterns are feasible for homeless people, including access to social support, case management, and health professionals, which could in turn lead to improved health and behavioral health outcomes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cell Phone Use among Homeless Youth: Potential for New Health Interventions and Research

2011

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Cell phone use has become nearly ubiquitous among adolescents in the United States. Despite the potential for cell phones to facilitate intervention, research, and care for homeless youth, no data exists to date on cell phone use among this population. In 2009, a survey of cell phone use was conducted among a nonprobability sample of 169 homeless youth in Los Angeles, CA. Levels of ownership and use, instrumental uses (connecting to case workers, employers) and patterns of connecting to various network types were assessed (family, home-based peers, streetbased peers). Differences in socio-demographic characteristics and cell phone ownership were assessed via t test and chi-square statistics. Sixty-two percent of homeless youth own a cell phone; 40% have a working phone. Seventeen percent used their phone to call a case manager, 36% to call either a potential or current employer. Fifty-one percent of youth connected with home-based peers on the phone and 41% connected to parents. Cell phones present new opportunities for intervention research, connecting homeless youth to family and home-based peers who can be sources of social support in times of need. Moreover, cell phones provide researchers and providers with new avenues to maintain connections with these highly transient youth.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cell Phone Use among Homeless Youth: Potential for New Health Interventions and Research

2011

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“…Housing instability is associated with an inability to attend school, as basic needs overshadow educational involvement [11]. Absence from school may also decrease development of positive peer relationships and may increase peer pressure from peers in similar situations who engage in high-risk activities, including risky sexual behaviors that lead to sexually transmitted diseases [34]. Another potential explanation found in previous research is that teen pregnancy may exacerbate school problems by creating even greater obstacles to attending traditional schools [37].…”

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confidence: 98%

“…For example, in 2003, rates of teen pregnancy for black and Hispanic women were at least twice the rate for white adolescents [2]. These adolescents are also more likely to come from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and from single-parent families [34], factors associated with risk for teen pregnancy. Furthermore, research in African-American female populations indicates difficulty negotiating condom use with sexual partners, which increases the risk of unwanted pregnancies [35].…”

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confidence: 99%

Runaway and Pregnant: Risk Factors Associated with Pregnancy in a National Sample of Runaway/Homeless Female Adolescents

Thompson

Bender

Lewis

et al. 2008

Journal of Adolescent Health

101

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Purpose-Homeless youth are at particularly high risk for teen pregnancy; research indicates as many as 20% of homeless young women become pregnant. These pregnant and homeless teens lack financial resources and adequate health care, resulting in increased risk for low-birth-weight babies and high infant mortality. This study investigated individual and family-level predictors of teen pregnancy among a national sample of runaway/homeless youth in order to better understand the needs of this vulnerable population. Methods-Data from the Runaway/Homeless Youth Management Information System (RHY MIS)provided a national sample of youth seeking services at crisis shelters. A sub-sample of pregnant females and a random sub-sample (matched by age) of nonpregnant females comprised the study sample (N= 951). Chi-square and t tests identified differences between pregnant and nonpregnant runaway females; maximum likelihood logistic regression identified individual and family-level predictors of teen pregnancy.Results-Teen pregnancy was associated with being an ethnic minority, dropping out of school, being away from home for longer periods of time, having a sexually transmitted disease, and feeling abandoned by one's family. Family factors, such as living in a single parent household and experiencing emotional abuse by one's mother, increased the odds of a teen being pregnant.Conclusions-The complex problems associated with pregnant runaway/homeless teens create challenges for short-term shelter services. Suggestions are made for extending shelter services to include referrals and coordination with teen parenting programs and other systems of care. Keywords Homeless adolescents; Runaway youth; Adolescent health; Teen pregnancyRates of pregnancy among adolescents in the United States decreased from 1991 to 2005 by 35%, but increased by 3% in 2006 [1]. Despite fluctuations, the U.S. has the highest rate of teenage pregnancies and birth in the western industrialized world. In 2004, 41 of 1000 female adolescents aged 15-19 years gave birth, translating to 415,262 live births [2] and indicating that teen pregnancy remains a serious public health challenge. Childbearing during adolescence has been associated with a variety of negative maternal consequences; teen mothers are more likely to drop out of school, to remain unmarried, and to live in poverty. Their children are more likely to be born prematurely at low birth weight, to live in impoverished single-parent households, and to enter the child welfare system [2,3]. Infant mortality during the first year of life is also higher among babies born to adolescents than to mothers >20 years of age [4]. One group of youth particularly at risk for pregnancy is runaway/homeless adolescents [5,6]. These are young persons who stay away from home at least overnight without the permission of a parent or guardian and who live in unsupervised locations or circumstances, such as with strangers, in shelters, in public places such as parks or highway underpasses, or in shared rented room...

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“…Research finds that homeless young people engage in numerous risky sexual practices and drug related behaviors (Rotheram-Borus et al, 1992;Allen et al, 1994;Anderson et al, 1994;Kral et al, 1997;Kipke et al, 1998;Martinez et al, 1998;Ennett et al, 1999a;Ennett et al, 1999b;Tyler et al, 2000a;Tyler et al, 2000b). Despite considerable evidence that demographic and family risk factors are associated with risky outcomes, few studies have examined how the characteristics of homeless youth's current social networks encourage or constrain risky behaviors.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social network characteristics and risky sexual and drug related behaviors among homeless young adults

Tyler

2008

Social Science Research

Self Cite

120

108

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Although research finds high rates of risky sexual and drug related behavior among homeless young people, little research had examined how the characteristics of their social networks encourage or constrain risky behaviors. Based on a sample of 145 homeless young adults in the Midwestern United States, results revealed that having used alcohol with at least one of their network members and the presence of more conflict was associated with engaging in a greater number of sexual risk taking behaviors. Correlates of engaging in a greater number of substance use related behaviors included having older peers within the network, having used illicit drugs with at least one network member, and the presence of more conflict. The presence of a family member in one's network, however, was associated with fewer sexual and drug related risk behaviors. Overall, the social network characteristics of youth explained significant, additional variance beyond that of youth's own characteristics and their early family histories.

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Predictors of self‐reported sexually transmitted diseases among homeless and runaway adolescents

Cited by 50 publications

References 31 publications

Cell Phone Use among Homeless Youth: Potential for New Health Interventions and Research

Cell Phone Use among Homeless Youth: Potential for New Health Interventions and Research

Runaway and Pregnant: Risk Factors Associated with Pregnancy in a National Sample of Runaway/Homeless Female Adolescents

Social network characteristics and risky sexual and drug related behaviors among homeless young adults

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