Past research has largely focused on examining self-esteem as an independent as opposed to a dependent variable. At the same time, research suggests that during adolescence, self-esteem is subject to yearly, monthly, as well as daily change, and consequently, it is important to identify underlying vulnerability factors and behaviors, which shape self-esteem lability. In the current multi-wave, ...

This article examines the association between risky sexual behavior and HIV risk perception among miners. A cross-sectional survey (n = 293) was conducted with miners who worked in South African mines and lived in the Chokwe district of Gaza Province in southern Mozambique. The study used ordinary logistic and cumulative logistic models to understand what drives miners to HIV susceptibility. Th...

This article looked at the association between perceptions about condom use among one’s peers, beliefs about new HIV treatments, and HIV sexual risk behavior among YBMSM (aged 18-25) in Atlanta. The results of the study showed that 30% of the participants reported unprotected anal intercourse in the three months prior to the study. Stronger peer condom norms predicted lessfrequent risky sexual ...

This paper investigates the behavioral response to male circumcision (MC) for HIV/AIDS prevention. Recent evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) indicates that medically performed MC significantly reduces men’s risk of acquiring HIV through sexual intercourse. However, HIV/AIDS incidence will not necessarily fall if the lowered risk of infection induces a higher propensity for risky ...

The goals of the current study were to examine whether (a) negative events mediate the relationship between materialism and risky behavior engagement and (b) materialism moderates the relationship between stress and engagement in risky behaviors in Chinese youth. At Time 1, 406 adolescents (ages 14-19) from Yue Yang, China, completed measures assessing engagement in risky behaviors and the occu...