Religious Upbringing, Family, and Sexual Education: Exploring the Factors that Impact Sexual Decision-making among African American Emerging Adults Attending a Historically Black College Público

Abstract

This qualitative study explored how religious upbringing and sexual education impacted sexual decision-making among African American college students. Participants included (N=19) African American females attending a historically Black college in the Southeastern United States. Because African American young women aged 18 to 24 have increased rates of STIs, HIV, and unintended pregnancy, it is important to understand the contextual factors that contribute to young Black women's sexual decision-making. The social ecological model was used as a theoretical framework to explore the determinants of sexual decision-making, particularly focusing on sexual education and religion. Unlike past research on religion and sexual health, this study sought to explore religious upbringing as an emergent construct in sexual decision-making, defined as familial religious values, religious importance, engagement in religious rituals, and religion from youth to the present. Based on semi structured in-depth interviews with participants about current sexual health attitudes and behaviors, analysis revealed that family was the most influential factor in sexual decision-making as well as in sexual education and religious upbringing. Findings demonstrate that religious upbringing, specifically religious values learned from family, impact current sexual decision-making. Also, sexual education messages learned from family during youth impact current sexual decisions more than sexual education messages learned in school. Overall, findings may potentially inform future HIV prevention interventions for young Black women that address the determinants of sexual decision-making.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Chapter I. Introduction................................................................................................................. 1

Background................................................................................................................................ 1

Problem Justification................................................................................................................ 4

Theoretical Framework............................................................................................................. 5

Purpose....................................................................................................................................... 6

Research Questions.................................................................................................................. 7

Chapter II. Literature Review...................................................................................................... 8

Introduction................................................................................................................................ 8

Background & Significance...................................................................................................... 8

Social Ecological Model........................................................................................................... 14

Institutional Level................................................................................................................... 17

Religion and Spirituality........................................................................................................... 17

Sexual Education...................................................................................................................... 20

Interpersonal Level................................................................................................................. 22

Familial Influence.................................................................................................................... 22

Conclusion............................................................................................................................... 23

Chapter III. Methodology........................................................................................................... 25

Research Design...................................................................................................................... 25

Participants.............................................................................................................................. 25

Data Collection and Management......................................................................................... 26

Reliability and Validity.......................................................................................................... 28

Data Analysis........................................................................................................................... 29

Chapter IV. Results..................................................................................................................... 31

Introduction.............................................................................................................................. 31

Sample Description................................................................................................................. 31

Table 1.................................................................................................................................... 32

Religious Upbringing.............................................................................................................. 33

Institutional Level Factors....................................................................................................... 33

Interpersonal Level Factors..................................................................................................... 35

Individual Level Factors........................................................................................................... 38

Sexual Education..................................................................................................................... 44

Institutional Level Factors....................................................................................................... 44

Interpersonal Level Factors..................................................................................................... 47

Individual Level Factors........................................................................................................... 49

Chapter V. Discussion................................................................................................................ 54

Introduction.............................................................................................................................. 54

Positioning Findings in Theoretical Context....................................................................... 55

Religious Upbringing................................................................................................................ 55

Sexual Education...................................................................................................................... 57

Implications.............................................................................................................................. 59

Recommendations for future research................................................................................. 62

Limitations............................................................................................................................... 63

Conclusion............................................................................................................................... 64

References.................................................................................................................................... 65

Appendices................................................................................................................................... 73

Appendix A............................................................................................................................... 73

Interview Guide........................................................................................................................ 73

Appendix B............................................................................................................................... 75

Codebook................................................................................................................................ 75

About this Master's Thesis

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School	Rollins School of Public Health
Department	Behavioral Sciences and Health Education
Degree	MPH
Submission	Master's Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	Health Sciences, Public Health Religion, General
Palabra Clave	African Americans religion sexual health emerging adults college students
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Sales, Jessica, Emory University
Committee Members	Jacob Arriola, Kimberly R, Emory University Younge, Sinead, Morehouse College
Partnering Agencies	University, college or educational institution (other than Emory)

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