Participant characteristics of a nonmandatory school- and community-based sexual risk reduction project

Demographic, attitudinal, and behavioral differences were assessed among 9th through 12th grade African American adolescents to determine characteristic differences among high, medium, and low participators in a nonmandatory school and community-based sexual risk reduction project. Results show that individuals who are part of larger households are more likely to participate in after-school programs, and respondents who reported higher performance in school were more likely to be participants. In partial support of the Health Belief Model, various health threats were associated with participation, including having contracted a sexually transmitted disease at some time in the past, and among females, having been pregnant. Implications are discussed.