Browsing by Author "Hensel, Devon"

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    Changes in Solo and Partnered Sexual Behaviors during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Findings from a U.S. Probability Surve
    (medRxiv, 2020) Hensel, Devon; Rosenberg, Molly; Luetke, Maya; Fu, Tsung-chieh; Herbenick, Debby
    Background Research demonstrates that pandemics adversely impact sexual and reproductive health (SRH), but few have examined their impact on people’s participation in sex. We examined self-reported changes in solo and sexual behaviors in U.S. adults during early stages of the public health response to COVID-19. Methods We conducted an online, nationally representative, cross-sectional survey of U.S. adults (N=1010; aged 18-94 years; 62% response rate) from April 10-20, 2020. We used weighted multinomial logistic regression to examine past month self-reported changes (decreased, stable or increased) in ten solo and partnered sexual behaviors. Predictor variables included: having children at home, past month depressive symptoms, (ACHA 3-item scale), past month loneliness (UCLA 3-Item Loneliness scale), COVID-19 protection behaviors (adapted 12-item scale), perceived COVID-19 consequences (adapted 10-item scale) and COVID-19 knowledge (adapted 10-item scale). Results Nearly half of all adults reported some kind of change – most commonly, a decrease – in their sexual behavior in the past month. Having elementary aged children at home, past month depressive symptoms and loneliness and enacting more COVID-19 protective behaviors were associated with both reduced partnered bonding behaviors, such as hugging, cuddling, holding hands and kissing, as well as reduced partnered sexual behaviors, such as oral sex, partnered genital touching and vaginal sex. Greater COVID-19 risk perception and greater COVID-19 knowledge were associated with mixed effects in behavior outcomes. Conclusions Our data illustrate the very personal ways in which different pandemic-associated factors may create or inhibit opportunities for solo and partnered sex. The centrality of sexuality to health and well-being – even during pandemics – means that a critical piece of public health prevention and management responses should is ensuring that services and resource that support positive sexual decision making remain open and available.
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    Concurrent Substance Use and Related Problems among African American Adolescents: A Daily Diary Study
    (2020-08) Banks, Devin Elizabeth; Zapolski, Tamika C. B.; Cyders, Melissa; Hensel, Devon; Pietri, Evava
    African American adolescents have historically been considered at low risk for substance use relative to the White adolescent majority based on national prevalence estimates. However, during the last decade, African American adolescents’ rates of marijuana use—alone and in combination with other substances—have increased disproportionately relative to those of their White peers. Given the strong relationship between marijuana use and other substance use and the functional consequences associated with concurrent substance use during adolescence, the increase in marijuana use among African American youth may contribute to increased substance-related health disparities across the lifespan. Thus, the current study examined daily associations between marijuana use and other substance use among African American adolescents relative to their White peers. It also examined whether those associations differentially predicted behavioral health consequences among African American adolescents. Participants (N = 35; 42.9% African American) were adolescents age 14-18 who reported past 30-day use of marijuana, alcohol, and/or tobacco products. Respondents completed daily diaries reporting their substance use for 14 consecutive days, followed by self-report measures of internalizing symptoms, externalizing symptoms, and substance use problems. Multilevel regression and structural equation models were used to account for the nesting of days within individuals. Participants completed 458 diaries for a completion rate of 93.5%. African American respondents reported greater daily- and individual-level rates of marijuana use and concurrent substance use than White respondents. However, in multilevel models controlling for demographics, marijuana use was not related to concurrent use of alcohol and/or tobacco use and this relationship did not vary by race. Racial differences in the relationship between concurrent substance use and behavioral health consequences were observed such that the relationship was positive among White youth but not African American youth. Findings suggest that African American youth are at high risk for engagement in problematic patterns of substance use but that daily diary methods may not be most appropriate for illuminating these patterns. Despite these unexpected results, disparities in substance-related consequences among African Americans adults persist. Future research should examine long-term rather than proximal consequences of concurrent substance use among African American adolescents.
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    A Latent Class Analysis of Sexuality Education Type and Effect on Sexual Health Outcomes Among Adolescents in the United States: Results from a Nationally Representative Study
    (Presented at Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine Conference, 2022-03) Sherwin, Nomi; Zervos, Andy; Herbenick, Debby; Paul, Bryant; Hensel, Devon
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    Long-acting reversible contraceptive users’ knowledge, conversations with healthcare providers, and dual condom use
    (American Public Health Association, 2019) Fu, Tsung-Chieh Jane; Herbenick, Debby; Dodge, Brian; Beckmeyer, Jonathon; Hensel, Devon
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    A multi-method study of health behaviours and perceived concerns of sexual minority females in Mumbai, India
    (CSIRO, 2018) Bowling, Jessamyn; Dodge, Brian; Banik, Swagata; Bartelt, Elizabeth; Rawat, Shruta; Guerra-Reyes, Lucia; Hensel, Devon; Herbenick, Debby; Anand, Vivek; Pediatrics, School of Medicine
    Background: This multi-method study explores the perceived health status and health behaviours of sexual minority (i.e. self-identifying with a sexual identity label other than heterosexual) females (i.e. those assigned female at birth who may or may not identify as women) in Mumbai, India, a population whose health has been generally absent in scientific literature. Methods: Using community-based participatory research approaches, this study is a partnership with The Humsafar Trust (HST). HST is India’s oldest and largest LGBT-advocacy organisation. An online survey targeted towards sexual minority females was conducted (n = 49), with questions about sexual identity, perceived health and wellbeing, physical and mental healthcare access and experiences, and health behaviours (including substance use). Additionally, photo-elicitation interviews in which participants’ photos prompt interview discussion were conducted with 18 sexual minority females. Results: Sexual minority females face obstacles in health care, mostly related to acceptability and quality of care. Their use of preventative health screenings is low. Perceived mental health and experiences with care were less positive than that for physical health. Participants in photo-elicitation interviews described bodyweight issues and caretaking of family members in relation to physical health. Substance use functioned as both a protective and a risk factor for their health. Conclusion: Our findings point to a need for more resources for sexual minority females. Education on screening guidelines and screening access for sexual minority females would also assist these individuals in increasing their rates of preventative health.
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    Paid parental leave in the United States: a critical literature review
    (2017-03) Able, Aubrey Evelyn; Seybold, Peter; Haas, Linda; Hensel, Devon
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    Risk and Protective Factors for Bullying Victimization and Perpetration among System-Involved Youth
    (American Public Health Association, 2019) Katz, Amy; Hunt, Abby; Zaban, Leigh; Hensel, Devon; Ott, Mary A.
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    Truth be Told: Adolescents’ disclosure of sexual activity to providers during a sexual history
    (APHA's 2019 Annual Meeting and Expo (Nov. 2-Nov. 6), 2019-11) Liddon, Nicole; Steiner, Riley; Pampati, Sanjana; Hensel, Devon; Fu, Tsung-chieh; Beckmeyer, Jonathon; Herbenick, Debby
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    Using Innovative Methods to Decrease Participation Barriers in Community-Based Research
    (Center for Translating Research Into Practice, IU Indianapolis, 2022-03-25) Hensel, Devon
    In this presentation, Dr. Devon Hensel reviews how two different community-based studies leveraged innovative recruitment, data collection, and retention methods to decrease barriers to study participants.
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    Victoria Garcia Wilburn and Devon Hensel Research Introduction
    (Center for Translating Research Into Practice, IU Indianapolis, 2021-09-24) Garcia Wilburn, Victoria; Hensel, Devon; Gardner, Rachelle
    Professor Victoria Garcia Wilburn and Dr. Devon Hensel along with their community partner, Rachelle Gardner, briefly discuss their translational research project that deals with understanding teenagers' cravings and triggers while attending a recovery high school.