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The Longitudinal Association between Perceived Powerlessness and Sexual Risk Behaviors among Urban Youth: Mediating and Moderating Effects

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Abstract

A distal psychosocial factor, perceived powerlessness, has been found to predict various sexual risk behaviors among youth, yet no studies have assessed mediators or moderators in this relationship. Using a demographically diverse, longitudinal sample of urban youth (N = 257), this study assessed whether the need for sexual validation mediates the relationship between perceived powerlessness and sexual risk behaviors and to assess whether this mediated pathway is moderated by socioeconomic status and gender. The mean age of the participants was 21 years old (range: 15–24) and the majority of the sample identified as Black (65%) and female (62%). The results of structural equation modeling showed that the need for sexual validation mediated perceived powerlessness and condomless sex at last sex among Black youth. The need for sexual validation mediated perceived powerlessness and concurrent sexual partnerships among White youth and depended on levels of socioeconomic status. Sexual risk behavior interventions should provide youth with increased opportunities that encourage feelings of validation from other personal achievements in addition to sex while simultaneously addressing the structural conditions that drive young people to feel powerless.

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Authors’ Contributions

SL performed the statistical analysis and wrote the manuscript; TWP and QX participated in the interpretation of data and helped to draft the manuscript; VL participated in the design and interpretation of data; RBT participated in the design and interpretation of data; JME and SGS conceived of the study, participated in its design and coordination. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Funding

This work was supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (T32 A1050056-12), the National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (R01 HD057789-05), the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease (R01 DK110048), and the National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities (U54 MD000538-15).

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The datasets generated and/or analyzed during the current study are not publicly available but are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Correspondence to Sahnah Lim.

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Lim, S., Powell, T.W., Xue, QL. et al. The Longitudinal Association between Perceived Powerlessness and Sexual Risk Behaviors among Urban Youth: Mediating and Moderating Effects. J Youth Adolescence 48, 1532–1543 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-019-01027-w

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