| Session Title: Evaluation Policy and Practice: Its Impact on African American Women's Sexual and Reproductive Health |
| Multipaper Session 529 to be held in the Agate Room Section C on Friday, Nov 7, 9:15 AM to 10:45 AM |
| Sponsored by the Feminist Issues in Evaluation TIG |
| Chair(s): |
| Jenny L Jones, Virginia Commonwealth University, jljones2@vcu.edu |
| Abstract: This multipaper presentation will include three studies that highlight the need for sound evaluation policies which influence practice. Each paper focuses on African American women and health disparities as they relate to HIV/AIDS as well as adverse birth outcomes. Quantitative and qualitative findings will be presented for Young Black College Women: HIV/AIDS Secreted 'At Risk' Group and An Exploration of Factors That Influence the Sexual Decisions of Young Black Women: What Are They Really Thinking respectively. Exploring Adverse Birth Outcomes Among African American Women with Means: Revealing a New Population will include a conceptual discussion regarding the adverse birth outcomes of African American women. Topics related to black feminist as well as gender and power theories will be discussed. |
| HIV Risk Behaviors among a Sample of Young Black College Women |
| Binta Alleyne, University of Illinois Chicago, balleyne@uic.edu |
| The relationship between certain factors associated with the theory of gender and power including: sexual relationships, condom use self-efficacy, and substance use, to young Black college women's condom use was studied. A sample of 189 young Black women between the ages of 18 and 24 from a Historically Black University in the South was selected to complete a HIV/AIDS Risk Behavior Survey. An ordinal logistic regression revealed that self-efficacy and type of sexual relationship were positively associated with condom use, whereas substance use was negatively associated with condom use. This discussion will focus on the need to identify young Black women in college as a non-disenfranchised 'at risk' group, understand how the type of sexual relationships in which young Black women are involved influence their condom usage, and the need to evaluate current HIV prevention practice and policy with this population. |
| An Exploration of Factors That Influence the Sexual Decisions of Young Black Women: What are they Really Thinking? |
| Aisha Tucker-Brown, University of Georgia, aktb@bellsouth.net |
| This study explored the factors that influence the decision making of 25 African American women between the ages of 18 and 25. They were purposefully selected and interviewed. Interviews and focus groups served as the sole source of data for this study. This was a basic interpretive study and a qualitative research design was used to explore the factors that influence sexual decision making among these participants. Data were analyzed using the constant comparative method. An analysis of the data revealed that participants were in fact quite knowledgeable about HIV/AIDS and prevention strategies. This raises the question, what are we evaluating regarding HIV prevention programs? Are we allowing practice to dictate policy or vice versus. Conclusions also address the intersection of race, class, and gender and its relevance to the development of sound evaluation policy and practice with regards to HIV prevention initiatives. |
| Exploring Adverse Birth Outcomes Among African American Women with Means: Revealing a New Population |
| Kimberly Farris, University of Illinois at Chicago, kimberlydfarris@gmail.com |
| Health researchers have long noted racial disparities in birth outcomes, including pre-term delivery, low birth weight, and infant mortality. Recent literature has shown that African American women in higher SES categories are more likely to have adverse birth outcomes including low birth weight, pre-term deliveries, and fetal death. While researchers have focused on socioeconomic and behavioral explanations, few have examined psychosocial factors among this population. The issue warrants further investigation through the initiation of dialogue to identify potential methods for researchers/evaluators to reach women not traditionally considered as disenfranchised in terms of SES factors but still experience adverse outcomes. Furthermore, the discussion will focus on conceptualizing potential psychosocial factors that may predict adverse outcomes among this population, developing a model examining the extent to which these factors affect birth outcomes, and exploring methods on recruitment strategies of participants and issues related to understanding the role of evaluation practice and policy. |