Citation

Bornovalova MA, Gwadz MA, Kahler C, Aklin WM, Lejuez CW. Child Abuse Negl. 2008; 32(1): 99-109.

Affiliation

Department of Psychology and Center for Addictions Personality, and Emotion Research, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.chiabu.2007.04.009

PMID

18155295

PMCID

PMC2253666

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: Although a wealth of literature suggests that childhood physical, emotional, and sexual abuse are related to later-life HIV-related risk behaviors, few studies have explored disinhibition (e.g., impulsivity, risk-taking propensity, and sensation-seeking) as a risk factor in this relationship. METHOD: This cross-sectional study examined impulsivity, risk-taking propensity, and sensation seeking as mediators in the relationship between abuse history and engagement in HIV-related risk behaviors among a sample of 96 inner-city African American adolescents. RESULTS: Findings indicated that abuse history was positively related to self-reported engagement in HIV-related risk behaviors (B=.027, SE .008, beta=.32, sr(2)=.105, p=.001), as well as risk-taking propensity (B=.35, SE .11, beta=.30, sr(2)=.090, p=.003) and sensation seeking (B=.17, SE .05, beta=.35, sr(2)=.124, p= .0004). Abuse history was not related to impulsivity. Further, while sensation-seeking and risk-taking propensity (toa lesser extent) mediatedthis relationship,impulsivity didnot. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide an initialstep in the examinationof themechanisms underlyingthe relationship between childhood abuseand engagement in HIV-relatedrisk behaviors.

Language: en