The Empowerment Of Women - A Key To Hiv Prevention
adolescents; aids prevention; black; Environmental & Occupational Health; infection; intervention; Psychology; Public; risk reduction; Social Work; united-states
We discuss the process underlying the success of an HIV-prevention project for young, inner-city women. The intervention was based on the concepts of empowerment and culturally sensitive skill building. Four critical points relevant to the translation of HIV prevention knowledge into behavioral change among the sample are examined: (1) integrating the important issues of the participants' lives into the HIV prevention program, (2) utilizing a group format to encourage cohesiveness and support, (3) engaging group facilitators to promote mutuality and equality, and (4) promoting ongoing, authentic relationships among the participants and staff members. Points are illustrated with vignettes reconstructed from the group facilitators' experiences with the participants.
Levine O H; Britton P J; James T C; Jackson A P; Hobfoll S E; Lavin J P
Journal of Community Psychology
1993
1993-10
Journal Article or Conference Abstract Publication
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1002/1520-6629(199310)21:4%3C320::aid-jcop2290210408%3E3.0.co;2-6" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1002/1520-6629(199310)21:4%3C320::aid-jcop2290210408%3E3.0.co;2-6</a>
Depression Prevalence And Incidence Among Inner-city Pregnant And Postpartum Women
black; childbearing; disorders; families; life; poverty; psychological distress; Psychology; psychosocial predictors; social support; stress; white
A sample of 192 financially impoverished, inner-city women was assessed for clinical depression twice during pregnancy and once postpartum. At the first and second antepartum interviews, respectively, 77.6% and 24.5% of the women were depressed, controlling for pregnancy-related somatic symptoms. Postpartum depression was found among 23.4% of women. These rates are about double those found for middle-class samples. Particularly heightened risk for antepartum depression was found among single women who did not have a cohabiting partner. African American and European American women did not differ in rates of depression. Antepartum depression was a weak but significant risk factor for postpartum depression.
Hobfoll S E; Ritter C; Lavin J; Hulsizer M R; Cameron R P
Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology
1995
1995-06
Journal Article or Conference Abstract Publication
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1037/0022-006x.63.3.445" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1037/0022-006x.63.3.445</a>
Effects And Generalizability Of Communally Oriented Hiv-aids Prevention Versus General Health Promotion Groups For Single, Inner-city Women In Urban Clinics
adolescents; african-american women; behavior; impact; infection; outcomes; Psychology; randomized controlled trial; risk-reduction interventions; sexual risk; united-states
A primary prevention, behavioral intervention designed to reduce HIV risk behavior was tested in a randomized, controlled trial with single, inner-city women. A total of 935 women were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 conditions: a small group, 6-session communally oriented HIV prevention intervention; a yoked general health promotion intervention control; or a standard care control. Both interventions involved the interactive use of videotapes by live group leaders. The HIV prevention intervention, in particular, resulted in significant positive effects on self-reported and behaviorally assessed safer-sex behavior. Women in the HIV prevention group showed reduced point prevalences of medically tested sexually transmitted diseases at follow-up in comparisons.
Hobfoll S E; Jackson A P; Lavin J; Johnson R J; Schroder K E E
Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology
2002
2002-08
Journal Article or Conference Abstract Publication
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1037//0022-006x.70.4.950" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1037//0022-006x.70.4.950</a>
Womens Barriers To Safer Sex
adolescents; aids risk; Environmental & Occupational Health; hiv infection; intervention; Psychology; Public; risk reduction; social support; stress
We examined women's barriers to safer sex and the development of a 14-item, multi-dimensional, barriers to safer sex scale. In Study 1, model testing and scale development was conducted on a population of 503 African and European American, inner-city, pregnant, single women. We found four factors that closely parallel theoretical barriers that are cited in the literature: a) partner and self objections, b) the appraisal that one is not at risk, c) embarrassment, and d) giving up pleasure. In Study 2, convergent and divergent validity data supported the construct validity of the theoretical model and scale. In Study 3, the four subscales were found to be reliable among an additional sample of 72 single, college women. Subscale means for the community and student samples differed significantly, indicating important population differences. More modest differences were found between African American and European American women.
Hobfoll S E; Jackson A P; Lavin J; Britton P J; Shepherd J B
Psychology & Health
1994
1994
Journal Article or Conference Abstract Publication
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1080/08870449408407483" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1080/08870449408407483</a>
Safer Sex Knowledge, Behavior, And Attitudes Of Inner-city Women
african american; aids; aids risk; black; hiv; inner city; Psychology; risk reduction; safer sex; united-states; women
Sexual behavior, knowledge of HIV transmission and prevention, perceived risk of AIDS, and safer sex behavior were studied in a sample of 289 single, pregnant. inner-city women. African-American and European-American women were equally represented. Women had poor AIDS knowledge. Sexual behavior placed women at risk for HIV infection due to the lack of condom or spermicide use. Women did not perceive themselves at risk for the AIDS virus, although they did recognize that heterosexuals were at risk. Their lack of risk perception was partly based on their having a single sexual partner. They did not regard their partner's current or past behavior as placing them at risk. Recommendations for intervention and cultural differences were discussed.
Hobfoll S E; Jackson A P; Lavin J; Britton P J; Shepherd J B
Health Psychology
1993
1993-11
Journal Article or Conference Abstract Publication
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1037/0278-6133.12.6.481" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1037/0278-6133.12.6.481</a>
Reducing Inner-city Womens Aids Risk Activities - A Study Of Single, Pregnant-women
adolescents; african american; aids; black; hiv; inner-city women; intervention; prevention; Psychology; women
Behavioral change reduces risk of HIV infection and development of AIDS. We compared 206 inner-city women who were randomly assigned to a 4-session AIDS-prevention group or to one of two controls, a health-promotion group or a no-intervention group. AIDS-prevention and health-promotion groups provided information, behavioral competency training, and social support. Only the AIDS-prevention group focused on AIDS-specific knowledge and skills. The AIDS-prevention group produced moderate, consistent increases in knowledge and safer sex behaviors in comparison with either the health-promotion or no-intervention group. Self-report and objective changes were sustained 6 months after intervention for both African-American and European-American women.
Hobfoll S E; Jackson A P; Lavin J; Britton P J; Shepherd J B
Health Psychology
1994
1994-09
Journal Article or Conference Abstract Publication
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1037/0278-6133.13.5.397" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1037/0278-6133.13.5.397</a>
Reducing Aids Risk Among Inner-city Women: A Review Of The Collectivist Empowerment Aids Prevention (ce-ap) Program
AIDS; behavior; Dermatology; HIV; hiv prevention; infection; inner-city women; perception; reduction; safer-sex; women
MacKenzie J E; Hobfoll S E; Ennis N; Kay J; Jackson A; Lavin J
Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology
1999
1999-11
Journal Article or Conference Abstract Publication
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-3083.1999.tb00879.x" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1111/j.1468-3083.1999.tb00879.x</a>
Weight, self-esteem, ethnicity, and depressive symptomatology during pregnancy among inner-city women
pregnancy; African Americans; depression; obesity; self-esteem; Psychology; weight; black-women; body-image; dysphoria; postpartum; white
The relationship of weight and self-esteem to depressive symptomatology was examined among 36 African American and 96 European American pregnant inner-city women. Lower self-esteem and higher deviations from medically ideal weight predicted increased dysphoria during the 3rd trimester for European American women, but only lower self-esteem predicted increased dysphoria for African American women. These results support the hypothesis that African Americans are less likely than European Americans to experience negative psychological repercussions of greater weight. Consistent with findings among nonpregnant middle-class samples, these results extend the association between heavier weight and increased risk for psychological distress to pregnant women of European American descent.
Cameron R P; Grabill C M; Hobfoll S E; Crowther J H; Ritter C; Lavin J
Health Psychology
1996
1996-07
Journal Article or Conference Abstract Publication
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1037/0278-6133.15.4.293" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1037/0278-6133.15.4.293</a>
Loss of Resources as Mediators between Interpersonal Trauma and Traumatic and Depressive Symptoms among Women with Cancer
trauma; social support; cancer; Psychology; women; posttraumatic-stress-disorder; ptsd symptoms; breast-cancer; resources; child sexual-abuse; empirical literature; long-term sequelae; partner relationship; psychological distress; vietnam veterans
We hypothesized that loss of interpersonal, financial and work resources would mediate the relationship between physical and sexual abuse, cancer-related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms, noncancer-related PTSD symptoms and depressive mood among women with cancer. Participants were 64 women with heterogeneous cancers (64.1% breast cancer) seeking outpatient treatment. Structured interviews were conducted to assess for preQ cancer interpersonal trauma, recent loss of interpersonal, financial and work resources, cancer-related PTSD symptoms, noncancer-related PTSD symptoms and depressive mood. Only interpersonal loss mediated the relationship between earlier interpersonal trauma and current PTSD symptoms and depressive mood. Implications of the findings are discussed.
Banou E; Hobfoll S E; Trochelman R D
Journal of Health Psychology
2009
2009-03
Journal Article or Conference Abstract Publication
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1177/1359105308100204" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1177/1359105308100204</a>
When it rains, it pours: The greater impact of resource loss compared to gain on psychological distress
conservation; depression; gender; model; multiple roles; Psychology; social support; stress; symptoms; time; womens mental-health
The authors prospectively investigated stress in 71, mostly European American pregnant women. Conservation of Resources (COR) theory was applied to assess the impact of resource losses and gains that occur in women's lives. Resources were defined as those things that people value or that act as a means to obtaining that which they value and include social, personal, object, and condition resources. The authors hypothesized that women's resource losses would better predict postpartum anger and depression than their resource gains (in the opposite direction). They also predicted that earlier resource boss would accelerate the negative impact of later resource loss on postpartum distress. Resource gain was expected to be most salient when resource losses co-occurred, such that resource gains buffered the negative impact of resource loss. The hypotheses were generally supported and argue for the primacy of resource loss in the stress process.
Wells J D; Hobfoll S E; Lavin J
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin
1999
1999-09
Journal Article
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1177/01461672992512010" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1177/01461672992512010</a>
Proximal and distal predictors of AIDS risk behaviors among inner-city African American and European American women
AIDS risk; attitudes; condom use; ethnic differences; health behavior; intervention; knowledge; model; perceptions; Psychology; safer sex; self-efficacy; social norms; stress
AIDS risk behavior and attitudes towards safer sex were studied in a sample of 666 African American and 626 European American women. Condom use, AIDS-related knowledge, risk perception, self-efficacy beliefs, attitudes and perceived partner attitudes, and an assertive coping style were analyzed with regard to mean differences and predictive power in both ethnic groups. Compared to European American women, African American women had less knowledge and lower self-efficacy beliefs towards safer sex behavior, but they perceived themselves to be at more risk and reported greater condom use. Further, ethnicity was found to moderate the effects of the psychological predictors on safer sex behavior. This moderator effect was tested using a structural equation modeling design. In both groups, risk perception was the strongest predictor of condom use. Among African American women, social-cognitive barriers (e.g. low self-efficacy beliefs, negative attitude towards condom use) worked as a second predictor and mediator of the effects of risk perception on condom use. In contrast, among European American women, social-cognitive factors had no effect on condom use. In general, prediction of safer sex behavior was stronger among African American women.
Schroder K E E; Hobfoll S E; Jackson A P; Lavin J
Journal of Health Psychology
2001
2001-03
Journal Article
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1177/135910530100600207" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1177/135910530100600207</a>
Stress, psychosocial resources, and depressive symptomatology during pregnancy in low-income, inner-city women
birth outcomes; depression; differentials; Health; mortality; multivariate; nonpsychotic postpartum depression; prevalence; Psychology; psychosocial resources; satisfaction; self-esteem; social support; stress; weight
The authors examined the prospective influence of stress, self-esteem, and social support on the postpartum depressive symptoms of 191 inner-city women (139 European Americans and 52 African Americans) over 3 waves of data collection. Depressive symptomatology was measured by multiple indicators, including self-report and clinical scales. Women became less depressed as they move from prenatal to postpartum stages and adjusted to their pregnancy and its consequences. LISREL and regression analyses indicated that stress was related to increased depression, whereas greater income and social support were related to decreased depression. Self-esteem was related to lower depression at the prenatal and postpartum periods but not to change in depression from the prenatal to the postpartum period. The results also indicated that self-esteem and social support did not have additional stress-buffering effects over and above their direct effects on depression. Finally, African American women did not differ from European American women terms of depression or in terms of how they were impacted by stress or psychosocial resources.
Ritter C; Hobfoll S E; Lavin J; Cameron R P; Hulsizer M R
Health Psychology
2000
2000-11
Journal Article
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1037//0278-6133.19.6.576" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1037//0278-6133.19.6.576</a>