Religiosity and HIV Risk Behaviors in African-American Students

Abstract

The participants were 256 African-American students between the ages of 18 and 25, from two historically Black universities. The purpose of this study was to see how dimensions of religiosity and spirituality influenced the HIV risk behavior in African-American college students. Each participant completed the Expressions of Spirituality Inventory (ESI) and a survey of sexual attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors. The data were analyzed using a series of ANOVAs, t tests, and correlations. The results from the study confirmed that there was a relationship between religiosity/spirituality and one's tendency to engage in HIV risk behaviors in the population of African-American college students. Interestingly, this study was able to reveal that traditional indicators of religiosity, such as association and church attendance, were not predictors of any of the risky sexual behaviors or attitudes. The portions of religiosity with the greatest impact on these behaviors were the Experiential/Phenomenological, the Existential Well-being, and the Cognitive dimensions, with high scores on each indicative of less likelihood of engaging in risky sexual behaviors.

Clarifying the Relation Between Spirituality and Well-Being

“…Since its development, the ESI and the dimensional model have been used by MacDonald and others to examine the relation of spirituality to numerous aspects of functioning, including health, psychopathology, substance use, sexual orientation, boredom proneness, anomalous temporal lobe signs, trait personality, empathy, altruism, and work and organizational values and behavior (e.g., Adamovova and Strizenec, 2004;Affeldt and MacDonald, 2010;Bliss, 2009Bliss, , 2011Boyd-Starke et al, 2011;Huber and MacDonald, 2012;MacDonald and Holland, 2002a, 2002b, 2003. As importantly, they have served as the basis for theory development and/or validation in the creation of new models and measures of spirituality and religiosity (e.g., Kassab and MacDonald, 2011;MacDonald, 2009MacDonald, , 2011aMacDonald and Holland, 2002c;Saucier and Skrzypinska, 2006).…”

Impact of Religiosity on the Sexual Risk Behaviors of Young Men Who Have Sex With Men

“…The Center for Disease Control and Prevention have also prioritized partnering with communities of faith in addressing the HIV epidemic, recognizing that religious institutions may be uniquely positioned to intervene with youth on both individual and community levels (CDC, 2006). Given the traditional importance of religion and spirituality in the Black community and the epidemic proportions of HIV among U.S. non-Hispanic Blacks, particularly MSM, interest and attention has been specifically focused on religion and the role of the Black church in future community-based HIV prevention efforts (Boyd-Starke, Hill, Fife, & Whittington, 2011; Foster et al, 2007; Francis & Liverpool, 2009; Lightfoot et al, 2012). …”

Spiritual coping predicts CD4-cell preservation and undetectable viral load over four years

“…Conversely, two larger studies of African-American college students (Boyd-Starke, Hill, Fife, & Whittington, 2011;Thomas & Freeman, 2011) did not find an association between spirituality/religiousness and sexual risk behavior. However, cognitive orientation toward spirituality and existential well-being were linked to less sexual risk behavior (Boyd-Starke et al, 2011).…”

“…Sexual risk behavior was negatively associated with world assumptions of meaningfulness, benevolence, and strength of faith among cocaine-using methadonemaintained patients (Avants, Marcotte, Arnold, & Margolin, 2003) and daily spiritual experiences in African-American older adults (Wutoh et al, 2011). Conversely, two larger studies of African-American college students (Boyd-Starke, Hill, Fife, & Whittington, 2011;Thomas & Freeman, 2011) did not find an association between spirituality/religiousness and sexual risk behavior. However, cognitive orientation toward spirituality and existential well-being were linked to less sexual risk behavior (Boyd-Starke et al, 2011).…”