AEGiS-14IAC: Social capital as a predictor of AIDS cases, STD rates and adolescent sexual risk behavior prevalence: A state-level analysis, U.S.A., 1999.

14th International AIDS Conference

Barcelona, Spain - July 7-12, 2002

Social capital as a predictor of AIDS cases, STD rates and adolescent sexual risk behavior prevalence: A state-level analysis, U.S.A., 1999.

Int Conf AIDS 2002 Jul 7-12; 14:(abstract no. ThOrD1493)

Holtgrave DR, Crosby RA, Wingood GM, DiClemente RJ, Gayle JA
Emory University Center for AIDS Research, Atlanta GA, United States

BACKGROUND: Social capital includes trust, reciprocity and cooperation among community members working together to achieve common goals; it has been correlated with public health variables including violence and mortality. However, the relationship between social capital and infectious diseases has received little attention. Here, we examine the relationship between social capital (as well as poverty and income inequality) and AIDS case rates, STD rates and adolescents' HIV-related sexual risk behavior prevalence at the state level (USA, 1999).

METHODS: Bivariate and multivariate linear regression techniques were employed in this state-level, secondary data analysis. Predictor variables were Putnam's social capital index (www.bowlingalone.com), poverty and income inequality. Disease outcomes were rates of AIDS cases, gonorrhea, syphilis, and chlamydia assessed by CDC's surveillance system. Behavioral outcomes (as assessed by CDC's Youth Risk Behavior Survey) included 7 aspects of adolescents' sexual risk behavior (e.g., early sexual debut, and multiple partners) analyzed separately for males and females (for a total of 14 behavioral measures).

RESULTS: At a significance level of p < .01 (one-tailed test), social capital was a significant bivariate predictor of every disease outcome (explaining between 25% and 45% of the variance in each disease), and 10 of 14 behavioral variables (explaining between 19% and 52% of the variance in these 10 measures). Poverty was a significant predictor of one disease outcome and two behavioral variables. Income inequality was a significant predictor of two disease outcomes and one behavioral variable. Overall, social capital was a stronger predictor variable than the other two.

CONCLUSIONS: Social capital is a key societal- level construct for predicting sexually transmitted diseases and risk behaviors, and should be considered in the development of structural HIV and STD prevention interventions.

Keywords: AEGIS, Prevalence, Sex Behavior, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Income, Poverty, HIV, Risk-Taking, Socioeconomic Factors, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.), Sexual Partners, Interpersonal Relations, Research, Adolescent Behavior, United States, Residence Characteristics, Syphilis, Gonorrhea, Social Behavior, Adolescent, Human, Female, Male, Adolescence, Economics, Epidemiology, Mortality, Psychology

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ThOrD1493