Life stressors, mastery, and perceived partner engagement in HIV-Risk behavior.

Life stressors, mastery, and perceived partner engagement in HIV-Risk behavior.

Jackson Tomara D; Hobfoll Stevan E; Jackson Anita P; Lavin Justin

Journal of Community Psychology

2001

2001-01

The relationships among level of personal mastery, economic stress, number of sexual partners, pregnancy status, and perceived partner engagement in HIV-risk behaviors (i.e., intravenous drug use, imprisonment, and sex with other partners) were studied in a sample of 1069 single, inner-city women. African American and European Americans were equally represented. We predicted that greater economic stress, a lower sense of personal mastery, and more sexual partners would be associated with greater perceptions of partner engagement in HIV-risk behavior. We also predicted that personal mastery would serve as a moderating variable in the presence of life stressors (e.g., being pregnant, having multiple sexual partners). The findings supported the hypotheses. Women with more economic stress, multiple sexual partners, and lower personal mastery reported higher perceived partner engagement in HIV-risk behavior than women with lower economic stress, one sexual partner, and higher personal mastery. Personal mastery had a greater impact for women with multiple sexual partners and for those who were pregnant. These findings were qualified by women's ethnicity. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RISK-taking behavior; AFRICAN Americans; ETHNIC groups; EUROPEAN Americans; HIV infections; HUMAN sexuality; MAN-woman relationships; PHYSIOLOGICAL stress

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