Religiosity,internalized homonegativity and outness in Christian men who have sex with men

When exposed to their congregations' negative views of homosexuality, Christian men who have sex with men frequently struggle to reconcile their religious and sexual identities, possibly contributing to negative emotional states and behaviors associated with HIV/STI infection. To examine the influence of religiousity on internalized homonegativity and outness among Christian men who have sex with men, we used survey data from 1165 men who answered questions about their religious beliefs and sexual behavior. We stratified participants based on religious affiliation groupings: Catholic, Mainline Protestant and Evangelical Protestant. After using confirmatory factor analysis to verify that the selected measures of religiosity were equivalent between groups, we used structural equation modeling to examine the relationship between religiosity, internalized homonegativity and outness. Among Catholics and Mainline Protestants, religiosity was not associated with internalized homonegativy or outness. However, among Evangelical Protestants – a group more likely to ascribe to religious fundamentalism – increased religiosity was associated with increased internalized homonegativity, which contributed to decreased outness. Our findings suggest that mental health providers and sexuality educators should be more concerned about the influence of religiosity on internalized homonegativity and outness when clients have a history of affiliation with Evangelical Protestant faiths more so than Catholic or Mainline Protestant faiths.

     

Associations between religiosity and anxiety,depressive symptoms,and well-being in Korean adults living with epilepsy

PurposeReligiosity can be important in the everyday life of persons with epilepsy (PWE). How PWE live with religiosity can be influenced by their cultural background. We determined whether religiosity is associated with anxiety, depressive symptoms, and well-being in Korean adults with epilepsy.MethodsThis multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted in the outpatient clinics of five university hospitals in Korea. Religiosity was assessed using the five-item Duke University Religion Index (DUREL). The WHO-Five Well-Being Index (WHO-5) and Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale were used. The participants were categorized into three subgroups bounded by the 33rd and 66th percentiles of their DUREL scores.ResultsOf a total of 226 participants, 61.1% declared that they had religious affiliation. The median DUREL score was 11 (interquartile ranges 6, 18). All three subscales of the DUREL were significantly related to WHO-5 (p < 0.01). Non-organizational religious activities such as prayer and meditation were also inversely related to anxiety (p < 0.05) and depressive symptoms (p < 0.01). After controlling for confounding variables, anxiety and depressive symptoms were more extensive in the low religiosity subgroup than in the high or no religiosity subgroup (p < 0.01) and well-being was higher in the high or low religiosity subgroup than in the no religiosity subgroup (p < 0.05).ConclusionsReligiosity is significantly associated with anxiety, depressive symptoms, and well-being in Korean adults with epilepsy.     

Body image and first sexual intercourse in late adolescence

Sexual behavior is associated with body image, but the directionality of this association is unclear. This study used longitudinal data from a sample of previously abstinent college students (N = 100, 45% female, 49% European American, 26% Latino American, 25% African American) to test whether satisfaction with appearance changed after first intercourse. Male students were more satisfied with their appearance after first intercourse, whereas female students became slightly less satisfied with their appearance. These findings demonstrate that first intercourse can lead to changes in well-being, even if the transition takes places in late adolescence. In addition, they suggest that gendered cultural expectations regarding sexual behavior are associated with differing psychological outcomes for male and female adolescents.     

Religiosity and decreased risk of substance use disorders: is the effect mediated by social support or mental health status?

Objective  

The negative association between religiosity (religious beliefs and church attendance) and the likelihood of substance use disorders is well established, but the mechanism(s) remain poorly understood. We investigated whether this association was mediated by social support or mental health status.     

Évaluation du sadisme sexuel sévère dans un population médico-légale. Validation francophone de la Sexual Sadism Scale (SESAS)

ObjectivesSexual sadism is associated with a high risk of sexual violence and general recidivism in sex offenders. However, its evaluation encounters vague diagnostic criteria and uses idiosyncratic methods that require evaluators to infer the individual's motivations and sadistic fantasies. The Sexual Sadism Scale (SESAS) is a cumulative scale that is based exclusively on elements of the crime scene. Both inter-rater agreement and scale reliability of this one-dimensional scale comprising 11 items is high. The items are coded dichotomously based on offenders's files. An individual would be classified as likely meeting the diagnostic criteria if at least 4 of the criteria are present. The objective of our study was the French validation of the SESAS.MethodsFrom the sex offenders’ population in our High Security Hospital “Les Marronniers”, 62 participants were randomly selected. Participants signed a consent form. Inter-rater agreements were analyzed from two evaluators. Offender's files contained data concerning the offense(s), psychiatric expertises carried out for the courts in charge of the follow-up of the participants, and the psychiatric and social reports concerning the evolution of the patients. Results have been anonymized. Statistical analyzes were performed using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) software. In relation to the hypotheses of our study, the following analyzes were performed: Pearson's correlation coefficient (inter-rater agreement), Kappa coefficient (inter-rater agreement on items and inter-rater agreement on the established diagnosis), Alpha of Cronbach (Internal Consistency) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA)ResultsOf the 62 participants included, three met the diagnostic criteria for sexual sadism (4 or more criteria, 4.84%). The distribution of scores indicates that the 95% of the sample had 2 items or less, and the remaining 5% had 6 or more items. Of the 11 items in SESAS, the Pearson's correlation coefficient (r) is significant (r = 0.76, p < 0.001) and indicates a satisfactory positive association. Alpha of Cronbach is very satisfactory (α = 0.86). The items in the scale tend to represent a good internal consistency, meaning that the scale is in adequacy with the object of its measurement: the latent profile of sexual sadism. From the Principal Component Analysis, A two-factor structure can not be retained.ConclusionsFrom this study, we were able to propose the French version of the SESAS as a useful scale in the evaluation of sexual sadism in a forensic population. We confirm the dimensional aspect of sexual sadism, as it tends to be described in the DSM-5 which distinguishes paraphilia from paraphilic disorder. Moreover, we show here, following the original studies, that an evaluation of sexual sadism based on the crime scene behavioral indicators allows to limit the bias of the idiosyncratic approaches, marked by the inference of individual's sadistic motivations and fantasies.     

Religiosity, depression, and physical maturation in adolescent girls

OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of physical maturation on the protective qualities of religiosity against depression in adolescent girls. METHOD: Subjects were 3,356 adolescent girls (mean age 16.0, SD = 1.8) interviewed in 1995 as part of the Wave I In-Home Version of the North Carolina Adolescent Health Study. Maturation was assessed on the basis of self-report of secondary sexual characteristics and age at onset of menstruation. Religiosity was assessed on the basis of personal devotion, personal conservatism, institutional conservatism, and participation in religious community. Logistic regression analyses were conducted with each variable of religiosity used to predict depression, controlling for age and ethnicity. RESULTS: Personal devotion and participation in religious community were associated with a 19% to 26% decreased likelihood of depression in non-highly mature girls and a relatively more robust 32% to 43% decreased likelihood of depression in highly mature girls. Personal conservatism and institutional conservatism were associated with a 17% to 24% decreased likelihood of depression among non-highly mature girls, but were not associated with depression in highly mature girls. CONCLUSION: Physical maturation may be associated with the protective qualities of religiosity against depression in adolescent girls.     

Adolescents and sexual risk-taking: The interplay of constraining relationship beliefs,healthy sex attitudes,and romantic attachment insecurity

IntroductionAlthough sexual exploration during adolescence may be perceived as normative, many adolescents who are sexually active are likely to engage in risky sexual behaviors detrimental to their well-being. The present study examined the influence of insecure attachment (anxious and avoidant dimensions), healthy sex attitudes, and constraining relationship beliefs on the following sexual risk indicators: age at first sex, number of sexual partners, condom use, length of time knowing sexual partners, seriousness of relationship, and frequency of sex.MethodsCross-sectional data from two cohorts recruited one year apart for a five-year project were analyzed. Adolescents were public high school students from a Southern state in the USA (cohort 1: N = 878, 51.1% females, M = 16.50 years old; cohort 2: N = 759, 46.9% females, M = 15.78 years old).ResultsAcross both cohorts, healthy sex attitudes were related to having sex for the first time at an older age, having less sexual partners in a lifetime, and knowing one's sexual partner longer. High scores on the avoidant attachment dimension were related to less commitment to the relationship. This dimension also was related to holding lower scores on healthy sex attitudes, which in turn was related to having more sexual partners and knowing one's sexual partner for a shorter time. Although not replicated, higher endorsement of constraining relationship beliefs was associated with inconsistent condom use and greater sex frequency.ConclusionFindings suggests that attachment insecurity, healthy sex attitudes, and constraining relationship beliefs work together to influence adolescent sexual risks.     

Sex,violence, & rock n' roll: Longitudinal effects of music on aggression,sex, and prosocial behavior during adolescence

The current study examined longitudinal associations between listening to aggression, sex, and prosocial behavior in music on a number of behavioral outcomes across a one-year period during adolescence. Adolescents (N = 548, M age = 15.32, 52% female) completed a number of questionnaires on musical preferences, general media use, aggression, sexual outcomes, and prosocial behavior at two different time points separated by about one year. Using structural equation modeling to analyze the data, results revealed that listening to aggression in music was associated with increased aggression and decreased prosocial behavior over time, even when controlling for initial levels of these behaviors. Listening to sexual content in music was associated with earlier initiation of sexual intercourse and a trend for a higher number of sexual partners (reported at Time 2). Prosocial behavior in music was not associated with any behavioral outcome longitudinally. Collectively, these results suggest that listening to certain types of content in music can have a longitudinal effect on behavior during adolescence.     

Vie sexuelle des adolescents (enquête auprès de 352 étudiants tunisiens)

Adolescent sexuality varied with persons, cultures and epochs. Authors studied the subject of adolescent sexuality in Tunisia, an emerging country that succeeded in women emancipation since its independence. They carried out their study in order to get answer to a question: How a tunisian teenage is living his sexuality? Our study was a transversal one, done in the scholar year 2001-2002, about single students in university cities in the south of Tunisia. Our self administred questionnaire studied various domains: sociodemographic data; adolescent's relation with parents, with the other sex, sexual knowledge and sexual behavior of the adolescent; students answered the questionnaire. Results were anonymous. We have collecting 352 exploitable responses from 800 distributed quests.Results. -1. Profile of students: the mean age of our population was 20 and 1/2 years-old. Then they were at the end of adolescence. Sixty-two percent of students were female. 2. Profile of parents and family: for eight percent of adolescents parents were separated. The mean age of parents were 45 years-old (mothers were younger than fathers). 71% of mothers were without work (home keepers) and 75% of fathers had a stable profession. 3. Relational aspects between adolescent and parents: • parent-adolescent relation's quality: 71% estimate having a good relation with their mothers. It was especially for male adolescents; • quality's communication with parents: was estimated satisfactory for 3/4 of students. 4. Relational aspects between adolescent and the other sex: 40% of students have difficulties with the other sex, especially for female students. Timidity was the principal cause of difficulties (55%). Secondarily we have retained moral (42%), social (39%) and familial (27%) difficulties. 5. Knowledge about sexuality: • general knowledge about sexuality: judged as limited or inexistent in 31% of cases; • knowledge about transmissible sexual diseases (TSD): 11.7% of adolescents didn't know the TSD and 13.1% didn't have any idea about their prevention; • knowledge about methods of contraception: 13% didn't have idea; • discussion and origin of information about sexual life: 87% of students estimate that discussion about sexual life is important. 6. Sexual behaviour: • masturbation: 37.8% of adolescents use masturbation. The mean age of starting was 14 years old; • sexual relation: 38% were starting partial sexual activity. 22% had a complete sexual experience. The average age of starting this first complete sexuality were at 16.5 years old, for two sexes. 7. Attitude about premarital sexual relation: premarital sexual relation was judged unacceptable by 58% of students. Religions and ethic considerations were evoked in the first motive (63%) and the phobia of contamination by DTS was the second motive (33%). 17% of adolescents consider this premarital sexual relation as indispensable to develop their sexual experience and to search the carnal pleasure.Discussion. - The analysis of our results underlines some particularities about knowledge and sexual life of adolescents in our series. 1.Censure of talking about sexuality: the high rate of non response (56%) can reflect the importance of taboos and/or inhibition about the sexual sphere for some adolescents. 2. Relational aspect with the opposed sex: 2/5 of adolescents had difficulties of contact and communication with the other sex. Timidity was the principal cause of difficulty (55% in adolescents), traducing frustration and sexual inhibition. 3. Lack of sexual education and knowledge: nearly one third (31%) of adolescents had a lack of general knowledge about sexuality. Many factors can explain this laugh of sexual education for our young: absence of information's program about sexuality for the young people, limited scholar level for mothers, importance of taboos and traditions. Parents were moved away, as a sexual information source, for 95% of students. This data is frequent in our socio-cultural context. 4. Sexual Behavior: in our series, 37.8% affirm using masturbation (six boys for one girl). More high rates were found in other tunisian and occidental works. Only 22% of our adolescents had done sexual complete relations. Occident studies showed more high rates. These religious and cultural brakes seem to be attenuated, especially for boys.Conclusion. - Our society is in intercultural situation. It gives to adolescents an identification model and ambivalent, and fluctuant or contradictories norms. This study shows the importance of sexual education for adolescents.     

The relationship between parental religiosity and mental health of pre-adolescents in a community sample: the TRAILS study

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between parental religiosity, parental harmony on the subject of religiosity, and the mental health of pre-adolescents. In a community-based sample of 2,230 pre-adolescents (10–12 years), mental health problems were assessed using self-report (Youth Self-Report, YSR), parental report (Child Behavior Checklist, CBCL) as well as teacher report (Teacher Checklist for Psychopathology, TCP). Information about the religiosity of mother, the religiosity of father and religious harmony between the parents was obtained by parent report. The influence of maternal religiosity on internalizing symptoms depended on the religious harmony between parents. This was particularly apparent on the CBCL. Higher levels of internalizing symptoms were associated with parental religious disharmony when combined with passive maternal religiosity. Boys scored themselves as having more externalizing symptoms in case of religiously disharmonious parents. The levels of internalizing and externalizing symptoms in pre-adolescents were not influenced by parental religiosity. Religious disharmony between parents is a risk factor for internalizing problems when the mother is passive religious. Religious disharmony is a risk factor on its own for externalizing problems amongst boys. Parental religious activity and parental harmony play a role in the mental health of pre-adolescents.     

Religiosity aspects in patients with epilepsy

The objectives of this study were to assess religiosity aspects in patients with epilepsy (PWEs) and controls and to determine whether such aspects were related to the samples' clinical, sociodemographic, and QOL-31 data. The Duke Religion Index was administered to 159 adult PWEs and 50 controls. The relationships between the Duke Religion Index and the study variables of the two groups were compared. Intrinsic religiosity (IR) and nonorganizational religiosity (NOR) were higher in PWEs than in controls. Logistic regression showed that being female (p = 0.022) and having mesial temporal lobe epilepsy with hippocampus sclerosis (MTLE-HS) (p = 0.003) were predictors of high organizational religiosity (OR) and that high NOR was associated with MTLE-HS (p = 0.026) and controlled seizures. Further, only MTLE-HS (p = 0.002) was predictive of high IR. The Duke Religion Index and QOLIE-31 scores were not related. Different forms of interictal religiosity are related to clinical aspects of epilepsy.     

Religiosity and sexual risk-taking behavior during the transition to college

The degree to which religious identity acts as a protective buffer against sexual risk-taking in late adolescence was investigated in 230 first-year college students. Allport and Ross' Religious Orientation Scale was used to examine the relationship between religiosity, and sexual activity and condom use. Results indicate that greater intrinsic and extrinsic religiosity were associated with less sexual activity and condom use. Therefore religious identification may protect against initiating sexual activity among late adolescents, but may fail to protect against practicing unsafe sex among students who are already sexually active.     

The relationship between sexual assault, religiosity, and mental health among male veterans

OBJECTIVES: We examine the association between sexual assault, religion and mental health among male veterans. METHODS: We used longitudinal data collected from 2,427 male veterans who received VA outpatient care. Sexual assault was self-reported in the questionnaire. Two dimensions of religiosity were used: organizational (frequency of religious service attendance) and subjective religiosity (the extent that religious beliefs are a source of strength or comfort). Mental health was measured by the mental component summary from the Veterans SF-36 and depression was measured by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression scale. A regression model that uses the generalized estimating equation approach for longitudinal repeated data analysis was used. RESULTS: Based on the baseline data, 96 (4%) patients reported ever experiencing sexual assault. These patients have significantly lower levels of mental health status and higher levels of depression (p < .001). The regression results show that this decrement in mental health and increment in depression associated with sexual assault are in lesser degrees for patients who attended religious service more frequently compared to those who never did (p < .05). Similarly, there is a smaller magnitude of increment in depression associated with sexual assault for those who have a higher level of subjective religiosity (p < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Although the prevalence of self reported sexual assault is low among male veterans, those who reported sexual assault experiences had lower levels of mental health status and higher levels of depression. Further, religion attenuates this association which highlights the important role religion might have in coping with this stressful life event.     

Are sexual media exposure,parental restrictions on media use and co-viewing TV and DVDs with parents and friends associated with teenagers' early sexual behaviour?

Sexual content in teenagers' media diets is known to predict early sexual behaviour. Research on sexual content has not allowed for the social context of media use, which may affect selection and processing of content. This study investigated whether sexual media content and/or contextual factors (co-viewing, parental media restrictions) were associated with early sexual behaviour using 2251 14–15 year-olds from Scotland, UK. A third (n = 733) reported sexual intercourse. In multivariable analysis the likelihood of intercourse was lower with parental restriction of sexual media and same-sex peer co-viewing; but higher with mixed-sex peer co-viewing. Parental co-viewing, other parental restrictions on media and sexual film content exposure were not associated with intercourse. Findings suggest the context of media use may influence early sexual behaviour. Specific parental restrictions on sexual media may offer more protection against early sex than other restrictions or parental co-viewing. Further research is required to establish causal mechanisms.     

Night-waking and behavior in preschoolers: a developmental trajectory approach

ObjectiveThe aim was to study, with a developmental approach, the longitudinal association between night-waking from age 2 to 5–6 years and behavior at age 5–6 years.MethodsWithin the French birth cohort study Etude sur les Déterminants pré et post natals du développement et de la santé de l'ENfant (EDEN), repeated measures of children's night-waking were collected at age 2, 3 and 5–6 through parental questionnaires and were used to model night-waking trajectories. Behavior was assessed with the “Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire,” which provides five subscales measuring a child's conduct problems, emotional symptoms, peer relation problems, antisocial behavior, and hyperactivity/attention problems. The behavioral subscales were dichotomized at the tenth percentile. Multivariable logistic regressions, adjusted for parents' socio-economic factors, parental characteristics, and children's characteristics and sleep habits allowed us to study, in 1143 children, the association between night-waking trajectories from 2 to 5–6 years and behavior at age 5–6 years.ResultsThe “2 to 5–6 rare night-waking” trajectory represented 78% of the included population (n = 896), and the “2 to 5–6 common night-waking” 22% (n = 247%). Children belonging to the “2 to 5–6 common night-waking trajectory” had, at age 5–6, increased risk of presenting emotional symptoms (odds ratio [OR] = 2.17, 95% CI = 1.27–3.70, p = 0.004), conduct problems (OR = 1.63, 95% CI = 1.00–2.65, p = 0.050), and hyperactivity/attention problems (OR = 1.61, 95% CI = 1.00–2.57, p = 0.049). After adjusting for baseline behavior at age two years, only the association with emotional symptoms remained significant (OR = 2.02, 95% CI = 1.15–3.55, p = 0.015). Results did not differ according to sex.ConclusionResults suggest that the persistence of night-waking difficulties in early years is positively associated with emotional symptoms, hyperactivity/inattention, and conduct problems.     

Sexting as the mirror on the wall: Body-esteem attribution,media models,and objectified-body consciousness

Sexting motivations during adolescence are related to developmental dimensions—such as sexual identity and body-image development—or harmful intentions—such as aggression among peers and partners. Sociocultural and media models can affect explorations of sexuality and redefinitions of body image, which in turn are related to sexting behaviors and motivations. In this study, we investigated the roles of body-esteem attribution, the internalization of media models, and body objectification as predictors of three sexting motivations: sexual purposes, body-image reinforcement, and instrumental/aggravated reasons. The participants were 190 Italian adolescents aged from 13 to 20 years old (M_age = 17.4, SD_age = 1.8; 44.7% females). Sexual purposes were predicted by body-esteem attribution and body objectification; body-image reinforcement was predicted by the internalization of media models, and instrumental/aggravated reasons were not predicted by any variable. Thus, only sexual purposes and body-image reinforcement appeared to be affected by body-image concerns due to media models.     

Religious coping and caregiver well-being in Mexican-American families

Objective: We sought to explore the association of religious and spiritual coping with multiple measures of well-being in Latinos caring for older relatives with long-term or permanent disability, either with or without dementia.

Methods: Using a multi-dimensional survey instrument, we conducted in-home interviews with 66 predominantly Mexican-American Catholic family caregivers near the US–Mexico border. We assessed caregivers’ intrinsic, organizational and non-organizational religiosity with the Duke Religiosity Index, as well as Pargament's brief positive and negative spiritual coping scale to determine the association of religiosity with caregivers’ mental and physical health, depressive symptomatology and perceived burden.

Results: Using regression analysis, we controlled for sociocultural factors (e.g. familism, acculturation), other forms of formal and informal support, care recipients’ functional status and characteristics of the caregiving dyad. Intrinsic and organizational religiosity was associated with lower perceived burden, while non-organizational religiosity was associated with poorer mental health. Negative religious coping (e.g. feelings that the caregiver burden is a punishment) predicted greater depression.

Conclusion: Measures of well-being should be evaluated in relation to specific styles of religious and spiritual coping, given our range of findings. Further investigation is warranted regarding how knowledge of the positive and negative associations between religiosity and caregiving may assist healthcare providers in supporting Latino caregivers.     

Religiosity and substance use and abuse among adolescents in the National Comorbidity Survey

OBJECTIVE: To replicate previous findings among adults of an inverse association between religiosity and substance use among a nationally representative sample of adolescents. METHOD: Subjects were 676 (328 female and 348 male) adolescents in the National Comorbidity Survey who were assessed for substance use and abuse with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Religiosity was assessed through affiliation with religious denomination and through response to 7 questions concerning belief and practice. RESULTS: Confirmatory factor analyses replicated in adolescents the 2 religiosity factors of personal devotion and personal conservatism previously identified by Kendler among adults, although the 2 factors were more highly correlated in adolescents than in adults. Personal devotion (a personal relationship with the Divine) and affiliation with more fundamentalist religious denominations were inversely associated with substance use and substance dependence or abuse across a range of substances (alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, or any contraband drug). Personal conservatism (a personal commitment to teaching and living according to creed) was inversely associated with use of alcohol only. CONCLUSION: Low levels of religiosity may be associated with adolescent onset of substance use and abuse.     

Sex differences in the association between stressor-evoked interleukin-6 reactivity and C-reactive protein

Individuals differ consistently in the magnitude of their inflammatory responses to acute stressors, with females often showing larger responses than males. While the clinical significance of these individual differences remains unclear, it may be that greater inflammatory responses relate to increased systemic inflammation and thereby risk for chronic inflammatory disease. Here, we examined whether acute stressor-evoked interleukin (IL)-6 responses associate with resting levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of systemic inflammation, and whether this association differs by sex. Subjects were 57 healthy midlife adults (30–51 years; 33% female; 68% white). Blood was drawn before and 30-min after two mental stress tasks: a multisource interference task and a Stroop color word task. Hierarchical regressions controlling for age, sex, race, and BMI tested whether stressor-evoked IL-6 responses were associated with resting CRP and whether this association differed by sex. Results indicated that sex and stressor-evoked IL-6 responses interacted to predict CRP (ΔR² = 0.08, B = −1.33, β = −0.39, p = 0.02). In males, larger stressor-evoked IL-6 responses associated with higher CRP, whereas in females, stressor-evoked IL-6 responses showed a non-significant negative association with CRP. These findings indicate that inflammatory responses to acute stressors associate with resting levels of CRP; however, this association differs by sex. Previous literature suggests that there are sex differences in stressor-evoked IL-6 responses, but this is the first study to show sex differences in the relationship between acute inflammatory responses and systemic inflammation. The contribution of these sex differences to inflammatory disease risk warrants further investigation.