Jill R. Glassman

Estimating Population Size and Demographic Characteristics of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Youth in Middle School

PURPOSE To estimate the size and demographic characteristics of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth populations using data from the 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) administered in San Francisco Unified School District middle schools. METHODS The YRBS was administered to a stratified random sample of 2,730 youth (grades 6-8) across all 22 public middle schools in San Francisco. Cross-tabulations using complex samples analyses were used to derive population estimates and confidence intervals. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS Results show that 3.8% of middle school students identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual, and 1.3% of middle school students identify as transgender. To improve our understanding of the size of these populations across the nation, researchers conclude it is imperative that all YRBS administration sites include items on sexual orientation and gender identity as they would any other demographic item, such as race/ethnicity, sex, or age. The current lack of reliable data on the size and characteristics of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth population limits the capacity of policy makers, administrators, and practitioners to address their needs.

Community College Men and Women A Test of Three Widely Held Beliefs About Who Pursues Computer Science

Efforts to increase the number of women who pursue and complete advanced degrees in computer and information sciences (CIS) have been limited, in part, by a lack of research on pathways into and out of community college CIS classes. This longitudinal study tests three widely held beliefs about how to increase the number of CIS majors at 4-year universities, particularly among females. Data were collected from 741 women and men from 15 community colleges in California who enrolled in an introductory programming class. The results highlight the importance of preparation and interactions with professors for male students, and of motivational, relational, and behavioral factors for female students, specifically peer support, expectations for success in computing, and computer gaming.

Estimates of Intraclass Correlation Coefficients From Longitudinal Group-Randomized Trials of Adolescent HIV/STI/Pregnancy Prevention Programs

Introduction. Group-randomized trials (GRTs) are one of the most rigorous methods for evaluating the effectiveness of group-based health risk prevention programs. Efficiently designing GRTs with a sample size that is sufficient for meeting the trial’s power and precision goals while not wasting resources exceeding them requires estimates of the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC)—the degree to which outcomes of individuals clustered within groups (e.g., schools) are correlated. ICC estimates vary widely depending on outcome, population, and setting, and small changes in ICCs can have large effects on the sample size needed to estimate intervention effects. This study addresses a gap in the literature by providing estimates of ICCs for adolescent sexual risk-taking outcomes under a range of study conditions. Method. Multilevel regression analyses were applied to existing data from four federally funded GRTs of school-based HIV/STI/pregnancy prevention programs to obtain a variety of ICC estimates. Results. ICCs ranged from 0 to 0.15, with adjustment for covariates and repeated measurements reducing the ICC in the majority of cases. Minimum detectable effect sizes with 80% power and 0.05 significance levels ranged from small to medium Cohen’s d (0.13 to 0.53) assuming 20 schools of 100 students each. Conclusions. This study provides the first known set of ICC estimates for investigators to use when planning studies of school-based programs to prevent sexual risk behaviors in youth. The results provide further evidence of the importance of using the appropriate adjusted ICC estimate at the design stage to maximize resources in costly GRTs.

Examination of the Relationship between Psychosocial Mediators and Intervention Effects in It’s Your Game: An Effective HIV/STI/Pregnancy Prevention Intervention for Middle School Students

A set of mediation analyses were carried out in this study using data from Its Your Game. . .Keep It Real (IYG), a successful HIV/STI/pregnancy prevention program. The IYG study evaluated a skill and normbased. HIV/STI/pregnancy prevention program that was implemented from 2004 to 2007 among 907 urban low-income middle school youth in Houston, TX, USA. Analyses were carried out to investigate the degree to which a set of proposed psychosocial measures of behavioral knowledge, perceived self-efficacy, behavioral, and normative beliefs, and perceived risky situations, all targeted by the intervention, mediated the interventions effectiveness in reducing initiation of sex. The mediation process was assessed by examining the significance and size of the estimated effects from the mediating pathways. The findings from this study provide evidence that the majority of the psychosocial mediators targeted by the IYG intervention are indeed related to the desired behavior and provide evidence that the conceptual theory underlying the targeted psychosocial mediators in the intervention is appropriate. Two of the psychosocial mediators significantly mediated the intervention effect, knowledge of STI signs and symptoms and refusal self-efficacy. This study suggests that the underlying causal mechanisms of action of these interventions are complex and warrant further analyses.

Romantic relationships: an important context for HIV/STI and pregnancy prevention programmes with young people

Romantic relationships are central in the lives of young people. This paper uses data on romantic relationships from urban youth in the USA to illustrate how using a relationships perspective in HIV/STI and pregnancy prevention programmes broadens the skills and content covered, and contextualises the learning to enhance relevance and use. Self-report survey data were collected using electronic handheld devices for a school-based randomised trial. The survey sample includes 911 young people (mean age = 12.4 years) representative of their schools. Logistic regressions explored associations between selected sexual behaviours and relationship characteristics. For all participants, having more boy/girlfriends, dating alone, ever touching and ever having had oral sex were associated with an increased likelihood of having vaginal sex. Among young people with current partners, having a partner three or more years older, length of relationship and ever having oral sex were associated with an increased likelihood of having vaginal sex. The study data confirm the importance of accounting for relationships in sexual risk reduction programmes, and provide avenues for enhancing the relevancy of typical school-based prevention programmes.

Mediation analysis of an adolescent HIV/STI/pregnancy prevention intervention

Most interventions designed to prevent HIV/STI/pregnancy risk behaviours in young people have multiple components based on psychosocial theories (e.g. social cognitive theory) dictating sets of mediating variables to influence to achieve desired changes in behaviours. Mediation analysis is a method for investigating the extent to which a variable X (e.g. intervention indicator) influences an outcome variable Y (e.g. unprotected sex) by first influencing an intermediate variable M (e.g. self-efficacy to use a condom) and provides a way for empirically validating theoretical hypothesised mediators. In this way, mediation analysis is a critical tool for suggesting which components of complex interventions should be the focus of more efficient and effective interventions in the future. The present study applied multilevel mediation analysis to outcome data from the All4You2! study to begin to examine the relationships between a theory-based HIV/STI/pregnancy prevention curriculum for students attending alternative high schools who were at risk of educational failure. The study targeted psychosocial mediating variables and the primary outcome unprotected sex in the past three months. Results suggest helping young people attending alternative schools identify and avoid exposure to risky situations and improving their self-efficacy to refuse sex should be focal points of future interventions.

Exposure to Violence and Sexual Risk among Early Adolescents in Urban Middle Schools.

This article examines the relationship between exposure to violence, fear of exposure to violence, and sexual risk among a sample of urban middle school youth. The sample included 911 seventh-grade students who completed self-report surveys. Approximately 20% of the sample reported at least one direct threat or injury with a weapon in the past 3 months, and 52% reported ever seeing someone seriously injured or killed. Experiencing a direct threat was significantly associated with greater intentions to engage in vaginal intercourse and sexual touching behaviors; witnessing violence was significantly associated with sexual touching. Fearing exposure to violence was not associated with increased sexual risk. Most associations did not differ by gender. These data highlight the potential influence of exposure to violence on sexual risk among early adolescents, and underscore the potential of addressing exposure to violence in sexuality education programs and sexual health services for enhanced impact.

Exploring Alternative Outcome Measures to Improve Pregnancy Prevention Programming in Younger Adolescents.

The authors argue that the development of alternative outcome measures to improve pregnancy prevention programming in younger adolescents in America will require curiosity, additional data collection, and the exploration of existing data. According to the article, the efforts to prevent adolescent pregnancy have shifted to include middle school students. Dating relationships, sexual touching, and oral sex involving middle school youth in the U.S. are examined.