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Accepted (AM)Open Access (License Unspecified), Open
Journal article
What's Age Got to Do With It? Partner Age Difference, Power, Intimate Partner Violence, and Sexual Risk in Urban Adolescents
Journal of interpersonal violence, v 28(10), pp 2068-2087
01 Jul 2013
PMID: 23345572
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Adolescent girls with older male main partners are at greater risk for adverse sexual health outcomes than other adolescent girls. One explanation for this finding is that low relationship power occurs with partner age difference. Using a cross-sectional, descriptive design, we investigated the effect of partner age difference between an adolescent girl and her male partner on sexual risk behavior through the mediators of sexual relationship power, and physical intimate partner violence (IPV), and psychological IPV severity. We chose Blanc's framework to guide this study as it depicts the links among demographic, social, economic, relationship, family and community characteristics, and reproductive health outcomes with gender-based relationship power and violence. Urban adolescent girls (N = 155) completed an anonymous computer-assisted self-interview survey to examine partner and relationship factors' effect on consistent condom use. Our sample had an average age of 16.1 years with a mean partner age of 17.8 years. Partners were predominantly African American (75%), non-Hispanic (74%), and low-income (81%); 24% of participants reported consistent condom use in the last 3 months. Descriptive, correlation, and multiple mediation analyses were conducted. Partner age difference was negatively associated with consistent condom use (-.4292, p < .01); however, the indirect effects through three proposed mediators (relationship power, physical IPV, or psychological IPV severity) were not statistically significant. Further studies are needed to explore alternative rationale explaining the relationship between partner age differences and sexual risk factors within adolescent sexual relationships. Nonetheless, for clinicians and researchers, these findings underscore the heightened risk associated with partner age differences and impact of relationship dynamics on sexual risk behavior.
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Details
- Title
- What's Age Got to Do With It? Partner Age Difference, Power, Intimate Partner Violence, and Sexual Risk in Urban Adolescents
- Creators
- Ellen M. Volpe - University at Buffalo, State University of New YorkThomas L. Hardie - Univ Penn, Sch Nursing, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USACatherine Cerulli - University of Rochester Medical CenterMarilyn S. Sommers - University of PennsylvaniaDianne Morrison-Beedy - University of South Florida
- Publication Details
- Journal of interpersonal violence, v 28(10), pp 2068-2087
- Publisher
- Sage
- Number of pages
- 20
- Grant note
- F31 MH082646 / NIMH NIH HHS; United States Department of Health & Human Services; National Institutes of Health (NIH) - USA; NIH National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) F31MH082646 / NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH; United States Department of Health & Human Services; National Institutes of Health (NIH) - USA; NIH National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- College of Nursing and Health Professions
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000320601500006
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-84879199182
- Other Identifier
- 991021881480104721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Criminology & Penology
- Family Studies
- Psychology, Applied