Prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence in Young to Middle Adulthood: Associations With Respondent Gender, Sexual Orientation, and Partner Gender.

We estimate past-year physical and sexual intimate partner violence (IPV) prevalence from early to middle adulthood, examining associations with respondent gender, sexual orientation, and partner gender. We used three waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. For each wave, we estimated IPV prevalence, stratified by gender, sexual orientation, and partner gender.

Sexual Partner Accumulation From Adolescence to Early Adulthood in Populations With Physical Disabilities in the U.S.

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the lifetime and pre-18 sexual partnering patterns of populations with physical disabilities from adolescence to early adulthood and how these patterns further vary by biological sex, race/ethnicity, and sexual orientation.

Methods: Data were from 13,458 respondents to Waves I and IV of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. Poisson regression models were used to assess differences in pre-18 and lifetime sexual partner counts among populations with physical disabilities compared with those without disabilities.

Preterm Birth and Receipt of Postpartum Contraception Among Women with Medicaid in North Carolina.

Objectives: To compare receipt of contraception and method effectiveness in the early postpartum period among women with and without a recent preterm birth (PTB).

Methods: We used data from North Carolina birth certificates linked to Medicaid claims. We assessed contraceptive claims with dates of service within 90 days of delivery among a retrospective cohort of women who had a live birth covered by Medicaid between September 2011 and 2012 (n = 58,201).

Effects of Two Educational Posters on Contraceptive Knowledge and Intentions: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objective: To compare the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) contraceptive effectiveness poster with a more patient-centered poster on factors affecting the likelihood of using effective contraceptives.

Methods: The posters were tested in a randomized controlled trial. Women were eligible if they were aged 18-44 years, could speak and read English, were not pregnant or trying to conceive, and had engaged in vaginal intercourse in the past 3 months.

Variations in the timing of first sexual experiences among populations with physical disabilities in the United States.

Background: Timing of first sex has important implications for later sexual health, but little research has considered this in populations with physical disabilities.

Objective: The purpose of this paper was to examine timing of sexual experiences among populations with physical disabilities in the United States from adolescence to early adulthood, and how timing varies by biological sex, race/ethnicity, and sexual orientation. We hypothesized that those with physical disabilities would exhibit earlier initiation of each type of sexual activity compared to those without disabilities, but the degree of differences would depend on disability severity.

Cognitive interviews to improve a patient-centered contraceptive effectiveness poster.

Objectives: To refine the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)'s contraceptive education poster using patient-centered design.

Study Design: We conducted cognitive interviews with 26 women aged 18-44 living in North Carolina who spoke and read English and had ever had sex. We interviewed women about both a CDC and a patient-centered poster in alternating order.

Adherence to gender-typical behavior and high frequency substance use from adolescence into young adulthood.

Substance use is prevalent among adolescents in the U.S., especially males.

Process Evaluation of a Clinical Trial to Test School Support as HIV Prevention Among Orphaned Adolescents in Western Kenya.

Orphaned adolescents are a large and vulnerable population in sub-Saharan Africa, at higher risk for HIV than non-orphans. Yet prevention of new infection is critical for adolescents since they are less likely than adults to enter and remain in treatment and are the only age group with rising AIDS death rates. We report process evaluation for a randomized controlled trial (RCT) testing support to stay in school (tuition, uniform, nurse visits) as an HIV prevention strategy for orphaned Kenyan adolescents.

Description and Evaluation of a Measurement Technique for Assessment of Performing Gender.

The influence of masculinity and femininity on behaviors and outcomes has been extensively studied in social science research using various measurement strategies. In the present paper, we describe and evaluate a measurement technique that uses existing survey items to capture the extent to which an individual behaves similarly to their same-gender peers. We use data from the first four waves of The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), a nationally representative sample of adolescents (age 12-18) in the United States who were re-interviewed at ages 13-19, 18-26, and 24-32.

Testing Longitudinal Relationships Between Binge Drinking, Marijuana Use, and Depressive Symptoms and Moderation by Sex.

Purpose: Both substance use and depression are common in adolescence and often comorbid. Past research has produced conflicting results on whether there is a temporal relationship, and if so, in which direction it operates and how it may vary by sex. We examined the longitudinal associations between substance use frequency and depressive symptoms from adolescence into young adulthood and whether the associations were moderated by sex.

Directions of the relationship between substance use and depressive symptoms from adolescence to young adulthood.

Purpose: Both substance use and depression are common in adolescence and often comorbid. Past research has produced conflicting results on whether there is a temporal relationship and if so, in which direction it operates and how it may vary by sex. The purpose of this paper is to explore the longitudinal, potentially bidirectional, relationships between high-frequency substance use and depressive symptoms from adolescence into young adulthood for males and females.

The Enduring Significance of Skin Tone: Linking Skin Tone, Attitudes Toward Marriage and Cohabitation, and Sexual Behavior.

Past evidence has documented that attitudes toward marriage and cohabitation are related to sexual behavior in adolescence and young adulthood. This study extends prior research by longitudinally testing these associations across racial/ethnic groups and investigating whether culturally relevant variations within racial/ethnic minority groups, such as skin tone (i.e.

How does a national poverty programme influence sexual debut among Kenyan adolescents?

Cash transfer programmes have recently emerged as promising interventions for HIV prevention among adolescents in Africa. However, the pathways through which risk reduction occurs are not well understood. We examine data on 1429 adolescents and youth from the Kenya Cash Transfer for Orphans and Vulnerable Children, which has been shown to result in delayed sexual debut among adolescents.

Prevalence of High-Risk Sexual Behaviors Among Monoracial and Multiracial Groups from a National Sample: Are Multiracial Young Adults at Greater Risk?

The present study compared the prevalence and variation in high-risk sexual behaviors among four monoracial (i.e., White, African American, Asian, Native American) and four multiracial (i.

Effects of a Large-Scale Unconditional Cash Transfer Program on Mental Health Outcomes of Young People in Kenya.

Purpose: This study investigates the causal effect of Kenya's unconditional cash transfer program on mental health outcomes of young people.

Methods: Selected locations in Kenya were randomly assigned to receive unconditional cash transfers in the first phase of Kenya's Cash Transfer Program for orphans and Vulnerable Children. In intervention locations, low-income households and those with orphans and vulnerable childrens began receiving monthly cash transfers of $20 in 2007.

The reliability of in-home measures of height and weight in large cohort studies: Evidence from Add Health.

Background: With the emergence of obesity as a global health issue an increasing number of major demographic surveys are collecting measured anthropometric data. Yet little is known about the characteristics and reliability of these data.

Objectives: We evaluate the accuracy and reliability of anthropometric data collected in the home during Wave IV of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), compare our estimates to national standard, clinic-based estimates from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and, using both sources, provide a detailed anthropometric description of young adults in the United States.

Predicting Preterm Birth Among Women Screened by North Carolina's Pregnancy Medical Home Program.

Objective: To determine which combination of risk factors from Community Care of North Carolina's (CCNC) Pregnancy Medical Home (PMH) risk screening form was most predictive of preterm birth (PTB) by parity and race/ethnicity.

Methods: This retrospective cohort included pregnant Medicaid patients screened by the PMH program before 24 weeks gestation who delivered a live birth in North Carolina between September 2011-September 2012 (N = 15,428). Data came from CCNC's Case Management Information System, Medicaid claims, and birth certificates.

Health disparities among young adult sexual minorities in the U.S.

Background: Emerging research suggests that young adult sexual minorities (identifying as lesbian, gay, or bisexual or engaging in same-sex attractions or behaviors) experience poorer health than their majority counterparts, but many measures of health inequity remain unexamined in population-based research.

Purpose: To describe a wide range of health status and healthcare access characteristics of sexual minorities in comparison with those of the majority population in a national sample of U.S.

Preconception stress, birth weight, and birth weight disparities among US women.

Objectives: We examined the impact of preconception acute and chronic stressors on offspring birth weight and racial/ethnic birth weight disparities.

Methods: We included birth weights for singleton live first (n = 3512) and second (n = 1901) births to White, Mexican-origin Latina, other-origin Latina, and Black women reported at wave IV of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (2007-2008; ages 24-32 years). We generated factor scores for preconception acute and chronic stressors from wave I (1994-1995; ages 11-19 years) or wave III (2001-2002; ages 18-26 years) for the same cohort of women.