Parenting Strategies African American Mothers Employ to Decrease Sexual Risk Behaviors in Their Early Adolescent Daughters

Objective: The impact of parenting strategies on adolescents behavior has been the focus of research in the past three decades; the findings have never been more critical, particularly among African American mothers. According to the World Health Organization, approximately 70% of all new HIV cases are among female African Americans (AA) aged 15 -24 years. The purpose of this study is to explore the process by which AA mothers intervene with their early adolescent daughters to decrease risky sexual situations, with the long-term goal of HIV prevention. Design and Sample: A total of 64 AA mother-daughter dyads were recruited and separate focus groups were conducted for mothers and daughters with 6 -8 per group. Method: Focus group methodology with principles of participatory action research was employed to formulate focus group questions, recruit dyads, and to analyze the data. Results: Five codes emerged: scaring, limit setting, monitoring, nurturing/instilling values and identifying with ones ethnicity. The findings also showed an interaction between neighborhood risks, mother-daughter relationships and parenting strategies. Conclusions: Parenting strategies could be targeted for public health prevention interventions with the long-term goal of HIV prevention.