Faculty Collaboration Database

Using Integrative Data Analysis to Examine Changes in Alcohol Use and Changes in Sexual Risk Behavior Across Four Samples of STI Clinic Patients. Ann Behav Med 2017 Feb;51(1):39-56

Date

08/24/2016

Pubmed ID

27550626

Pubmed Central ID

PMC5253099

DOI

10.1007/s12160-016-9826-4

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-84983530480 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   6 Citations

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Patients in sexually transmitted infection (STI) clinics report high levels of alcohol use, which are associated with risky sexual behavior. However, no studies have examined how changes in alcohol use relate to changes in sexual risk behavior.

PURPOSE: We used parallel process latent growth modeling to explore how changes in alcohol use related to changes in sexual behavior across four samples of clinic patients.

METHODS: Patients participating in HIV prevention trials from urban clinics in the Northeastern and Midwestern USA (N = 3761, 59 % male, 72 % Black) completed measures at 3-month intervals over 9-12 months. Integrative data analysis was used to create composite measures of alcohol use across samples. Sexual risk measures were counts of partners and unprotected sex acts. Parallel process models tested whether alcohol use changes were correlated with changes in the number of partners and unprotected sex.

RESULTS: Growth models with good fit showed decreases that slowed over time in sexual risk behaviors and alcohol use. Parallel process models showed positive correlations between levels of (rs = 0.17-0.40, ps < 0.001) and changes in (rs = 0.21-0.80, ps < 0.05) alcohol use and number of sexual partners across studies. There were strong associations between levels of (rs = 0.25-0.43, ps < 0.001) and changes in (rs = 0.24-0.57, ps < 0.01) alcohol use and unprotected sex in one study recruiting hazardous drinkers.

CONCLUSIONS: Across four samples of clinic patients, reductions in alcohol use were associated with reductions in the number of sexual partners. HIV prevention interventions may be strengthened by addressing alcohol use.

Author List

Walsh JL, Weinhardt LS, Kalichman SC, Carey MP

Authors

Jennifer L. Walsh PhD Associate Professor in the Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Lance S. Weinhardt MS,PhD Associate Dean for Research and Professor of Community and Behavioral Health Promotion in the Joseph. J. Zilber School of Public Health department at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Adult
Alcohol Drinking
Female
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Models, Psychological
Risk-Taking
Sexual Behavior
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Unsafe Sex
Young Adult