Lewis Melissa A, Patrick Megan E, Mittmann Angela, Kaysen Debra L
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Box 354944, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA,
Prev Sci. 2014 Jun;15(3):408-18. doi: 10.1007/s11121-014-0460-8.
Spring Break trips are associated with heavy drinking and with risky sexual behavior (e.g., unprotected sex, multiple partners, unwanted sexual contact), especially for those students who go on trips with friends. The present study adds to this growing event-specific risk literature by examining Spring Break-specific normative perceptions of sexual risk behavior and the role that these perceptions and taking a trip with a friend or with a romantic partner have on Spring Break sexual behavior. College students (N = 1,540; 53.9 % female) were asked to report descriptive normative perceptions of sex with casual partners, drinking prior to sex, number of drinks prior to sex, and condom use as well as their own Spring Break drinking and sexual behaviors. Students perceived the typical same-sex student to have engaged in more frequent sexual behavior for all outcomes than students' own self-reported sexual behavior. Furthermore, results revealed that these perceptions were positively associated with behavior. The choice of travel companion (friend(s) versus romantic partner) also differentially predicted sexual behaviors. Results suggested that intervention efforts aimed at reducing risks for Spring Break trip-takers may be strongest when they incorporate corrective normative information and target those traveling with friends.
春假旅行与酗酒和危险性行为(如无保护性行为、多个性伴侣、不必要的性接触)有关,对于那些与朋友一起旅行的学生来说尤其如此。本研究通过考察春假特定的性风险行为规范认知,以及这些认知和与朋友或恋爱伴侣一起旅行在春假性行为中所起的作用,为这一不断增长的特定事件风险文献增添了内容。研究要求大学生(N = 1540;53.9%为女性)报告对与临时伴侣发生性行为、性行为前饮酒、性行为前饮酒量、使用避孕套的描述性规范认知,以及他们自己的春假饮酒和性行为情况。学生们认为,在所有结果方面,典型的同性学生比他们自己自我报告的性行为更频繁。此外,结果显示这些认知与行为呈正相关。旅行同伴的选择(朋友还是恋爱伴侣)也对性行为有不同的预测作用。结果表明,针对春假旅行者降低风险的干预措施,如果纳入纠正性规范信息并针对与朋友一起旅行的人,可能效果最强。