Theses and Dissertations from UMD
Permanent URI for this communityhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/2
New submissions to the thesis/dissertation collections are added automatically as they are received from the Graduate School. Currently, the Graduate School deposits all theses and dissertations from a given semester after the official graduation date. This means that there may be up to a 4 month delay in the appearance of a give thesis/dissertation in DRUM
More information is available at Theses and Dissertations at University of Maryland Libraries.
Browse
3 results
Search Results
Item Risky Sexual Behavior in College Students with and without Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Is a Positive Parent-Child Relationship Protective?(2012) Huggins, Suzanne Lorraine; Chronis-Tuscano, Andrea; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)College presents a novel context with decreased parental supervision, increased rates of alcohol and illicit drug use, and increased access to potential sexual partners. It may be especially challenging for students with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Research has shown that young adult males with ADHD engage in risky sexual behaviors (RSB); however, little to no research has been done on females or college students with ADHD, nor have prior studies examined environmental factors that may moderate risk. We examined whether ADHD is associated with RSB among college students and whether parent-child relationship quality moderated that relationship. Participants included 92 undergraduates, approximately half with ADHD and half without. Results indicated that the interaction between gender and ADHD status was associated with condom use frequency and age of first sexual experience. Further, the interaction between parent-child relationship and ADHD accounted for significant variance in number of sexual partners in the past year.Item "Sin Querer Queriendo": Exploring The Factors Associated With Pregnancy Prevention And Pregnancy Intention Among Latino Youth In Montgomery County(2010) Martinez-Garcia, Genevieve; Atkinson, Nancy; Public and Community Health; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)This study seeks to determine the factors that influence pregnancy desire and pregnancy prevention behavioral intentions among Latino youth. One out of two Latino girls in the U.S. will become pregnant before they turn 20. A pregnancy significantly hinders a teen's ability to pursue an education and develop professionally, and places an undue economic burden on the family. In order to appropriately address the factors that fuel teen birth rates, it is imperative to study behavioral, social, and cultural dynamics associated with pregnancy prevention and sexual behavior in the local Latino community. This study utilized the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to explore factors associated with pregnancy prevention behaviors, namely abstinence, condom use, and birth control pill use. The study specifically addresses attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral controls of Latino adolescents/teens regarding three pregnancy prevention behaviors. The Pregnancy Wantedness Scale was designed to specifically measure pregnancy attitudes among youth. The study answered three main questions: 1) What are the characteristics of Latino youth who desire a pregnancy during their adolescent years?; 2) Are pregnancy prevention behavioral intentions associated with pregnancy wantedness?; and 3) Are attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control associated with pregnancy prevention behavioral intentions? A questionnaire was designed in English and Spanish using input from local community stakeholders. A total of 949 Latino youth were recruited using a central location intercept approach. Univariate and multiple linear regression analyses were used to answer the three research questions. Analyses were conducted separately for males and females with some and no sexual experience. Psychometric studies and factor analysis were conducted to assess the reliability and underlying structure of the scale. This study found that multiple demographic, familial and acculturation factors influenced youth's pregnancy intentions. For most groups, pregnancy wantedness was mostly influenced by youth's religion salience, acculturation level and living with a parent. Only condom use intention was associated with lower pregnancy wantedness for males. Perceived behavioral control and parental norms was positively associated with increased behavioral intentions across all three behaviors for most groups. This study suggests that practitioners should be aware of the gender, sexual experience and acculturation level of Latino youth when designing education interventions. Moreover, the findings of this study suggest that strengthening parental role and communication will protect youth from desiring a pregnancy and motivate them to use contraception effectively.Item Following the Leader: Examining peer influence on sexual behavior(2009) Bears, Megan Ann; McGloin, Jean M; Criminology and Criminal Justice; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)A number of previous studies have found that peers influence adolescent sexual behavior. Still, it remains unclear how the mechanisms of peer influence operate on the sexual behavior of adolescents. This is unfortunate because it limits theoretical clarity and inhibits the production of policy aimed at reducing adolescent sexual behavior. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, this thesis extends upon current literature and determines the role of peer attitudes and behaviors on different forms of adolescent sexual behavior as measured by peer self-report data while addressing other limitations of previous research such as whether or not mechanisms of peer influence are conditioned by adolescent involvement with peers. The discussion of this work centers around the theoretical implications of the findings that peers do not influence all forms of sexual behavior and peer behaviors seem to be the only mechanism of peer influence that predict sexual onset.