Behavior Of Men Research Articles

Exploring Health Professionals’ Perceptions of Husbands’ Responsibilities in Muslim Women’s Health

Background: The husband has an important role in women's health. However, the information related to their roles is limited, including from the perspectives of health professionals. The health professionals' support and behavior have influenced men's and women's health behavior. Purpose: This study aimed to determine the health professionals’ perceptions of husbands’ roles and behavior in women's health, especially in the Muslim community.Methods: A qualitative descriptive approach applied in this study. Data were collected using the interview method. Ten clinicians from rural and urban areas of West Java, Indonesia, with a range of experience engaging with Muslim husbands involved in this study. Semi-structured interviews were recorded and then transcribed by the researchers. The transcribed data were analyzed using the comparative analysis for the interview technique.Results: Four main themes were identified: (1) Contextual factors impact husbands' roles in women's health; (2) Extensive roles of Muslim husbands in women's health; (3) Husbands and others involved in decisions about women's health; and (4) Level of health literacy affects husband's actions in women's health and cancer.Conclusion: Health professionals perceived that husbands' roles in Muslim women's health are pivotal, especially in supporting health treatments in health services. Little information was obtained about husbands' support in cancer prevention and early detection. Nurses can take the lead in improving Muslim husbands' understanding of women's health and cancer and raising their awareness of cancer screening for their wives.

Marriage practices, decision-making process and contraception use among young married men in rural Odisha, India.

Research on sexual and reproductive health including contraception use has predominantly focussed on women's behaviour. Much less is known about men's behaviour. We investigated the links between marriage practices and decision-making about contraception use among young married men in rural Odisha. This cross-sectional study used a mixed methods design. Data were collected through household surveys and in-depth interviews. Study findings revealed that over half of men were ill prepared for marriage and lacked understanding about what it would entail. Familiarity and communication between spouses were higher in self-arranged marriages and this contributed considerably to contraception use, while negative attitudes and lack of access to contraceptive supply and counselling hindered it. Many young men shied away from seeking contraception services at community level since the majority of frontline health workers providing such services were female. Findings reinforce the need for health system change to actively engage and involve young married men in decision-making about contraception use as well as to introduce male frontline health workers who can reach out to young men on SRH issues.

Men building better relationships: A scoping review

Health outcomes linked to men's relationships have the potential to both promote and risk the well-being of males and their families. The current scoping review provides a synthesis of men's relationship programs (excluding criminal court mandated services) in Australia, Canada and the UK to distil predominant program designs, access points, delivery modes and evaluative strategies. Databases CINAHL, Medline, Psychinfo, and Web of Science were searched for eligible articles published January 2010 and June 2020. The inclusion criteria consisted of empirical studies focussed on relationship programs for men. The review identified 21 articles comprising 8 focussed on Fathering Identities as the Catalyst for Relationship Building and 13 targeting Men's Behaviour Change in Partner Relationships. Findings highlight the prevalence of group-based, in-person programs which men accessed via third party or self-referrals. Fathering programs highlighted the impact of men's violence on their children in appealing to attendees to strategize behavioural adjustments. Men's partner relationship programs emphasised self-control amid building strategies for proactively dealing with distress and conflict. Program evaluations consistently reported attendee feedback to gauge the acceptability and usefulness of services. That most men attending fathering and partner relationship programs were referred as a result of domestic violence and/or intimate partner violence underscores men's reticence for proactively seeking help as well as the absence of upstream relationship programs. There are likely enormous gains to be made by norming boys and men's relationship programs to prevent rather than correct violent and/or abusive behaviours.

Men in rural Nigeria have a poor perception of prostate cancer risk; Hence they seldom seek screening.

The study aimed to investigate the behavioral and social factors that underlie the risk perception and screening behavior of prostate cancer (PCa) among rural men in Southwest Nigeria. The study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional design. To investigate the behavioral and social factors associated with men's screening behavior in rural communities, the study utilized an interviewer-administered questionnaire. A sample of 384 men who lived in six rural communities across Southwest Nigeria participated in the study. Constructs of the Health Belief Model provided theoretical framing. Key variables were the demographics, screening behavior, knowledge of PCa, and perception of PCa risk. Data analysis tools were descriptive (simple percentages) and multiple regression at p<0.05. About 49.7% were age 31-40, most of the men in the rural communities (64.1%) did not have more than secondary school education, and about 48.7% owned their businesses. Exactly 56% earned less than 18,000 per month; 65.6% were Christians, and the majority (90.6%) were married, with most (60.2%) not having more than four children (≤4 children). Knowledge of PCa has a significant but weak relationship with PCa screening behavior (p=0.02). Age (β=0.014), religion (β=0.052), and income (β=0.010)/(β=0.011) had predicted risk perception. Only income (β=0.038) significantly influenced screening behavior. There is a need to improve PCa awareness and knowledge to address risk perception fears and encourage increased screening behavior among men in rural areas.

A thematic analysis of men's help-seeking on an Australian health helpline.

The current study aimed to qualitatively explore men's help-seeking behaviours by analysing male callers' talk on an Australian health helpline. Analysis focused on identifying the ways in which men positioned themselves as help-seekers and the extent to which help-seeking behaviours deviated or conformed to the narrative commonly reported on in men's health literature which, generally speaking, positions men as reluctant help-seekers and health service users. The present study utilised naturally occurring instances of men's help-seeking during 196 calls to the helpline, Healthdirect Australia. Thematic analysis was used to explore recurrent themes in help-seeking interactions. The analysis yielded three broad themes, which were formulated as caller archetypes. These themes included the 'reluctant caller', the 'unwell patient' and the 'concerned carer', as well as a number of associated sub-themes within these broad categories. The findings demonstrated that male callers sought help in a variety of different ways, rather than prescribing to a homogenous pattern of help-seeking. However, it was acknowledged that some data did align with help-seeking behaviour which indicated men's reluctance to engage with their own health. SO WHAT?: The present study contributes to men's health promotion by identifying the various social devices used by men to facilitate help-seeking. The findings highlight the changing and flexible landscape of contemporary masculinity and its impact on health engagement. Recognising the versatility in men's health behaviour is important for ensuring that men have positive experiences during healthcare encounters which, in turn, may facilitate future health service uptake and engagement.

Masculinity, resources, and retention in care: South African men's behaviors and experiences while engaged in TB care and treatment.

Globally, the prevalence of tuberculosis (TB) disease is significantly higher among men compared to women. This is compounded by men's poorer uptake of TB testing and treatment, and worse outcomes for smear conversion and successful treatment completion compared to women; in South Africa specifically, TB accounts for a large portion of sex-specific life expectancy differences. To understand men's unique barriers to accessing care and their needs while engaged in TB treatment, we conducted a qualitative study with men currently in or who recently completed TB treatment to understand how social norms for masculinity influence resource access and health behaviors, and in turn affect their engagement in care. We interviewed 31 men using a semi-structured protocol, with domains including: social network composition and support; TB illness; and testing, treatment, and clinical care experiences. Interviews were analyzed using a constant comparison approach to identify resources and how these are exchanged within men's social networks for TB care. We found that men's prioritizing of work ensured food security and maintenance of masculinity norms, but delayed seeking and engagement in care. Once in treatment, men found it difficult both to negotiate clinic hours and work schedules and to navigate clinic environments without being labeled as weak. To mitigate individual resource gaps and losses, men typically accessed women family members who provided key resources (e.g., food, money, and emotional encouragement). Masculine identification with fatherhood was a key motivator to remain engaged in TB care and treatment. Loss from care was facilitated by isolation and limited access to social network resources. To improve men's engagement in care and successful treatment outcomes, interventions that leverage their social networks and build upon existing resources should be strongly considered.

Syndemic Profiles and Sexual Minority Men's HIV-Risk Behavior: A Latent Class Analysis.

Syndemic theory posits that "syndemic conditions" (e.g., alcohol misuse, polydrug use, suicidality) co-occur among sexual minority men and influence HIV-risk behavior, namely HIV acquisition and transmission risk. To examine how four syndemic conditions cluster among sexual minority men and contribute to HIV-risk behavior, we conducted latent class analysis (LCA) to: (1) classify sexual minority men (n = 937) into subgroups based on their probability of experiencing each syndemic condition; (2) examine the demographic (e.g., race/ethnicity) and social status (e.g., level of socioeconomic distress) characteristics of the most optimally fitting four syndemic classes; (3) examine between-group differences in HIV-risk behavior across classes; and (4) use syndemic class membership to predict HIV-risk behavior with sexual minority men reporting no syndemic conditions as the reference group. The four classes were: (1) no syndemic, (2) alcohol misuse and polydrug use syndemic, (3) polydrug use and HIV syndemic, and (4) alcohol misuse. HIV-risk behavior differed across these latent classes. Demographic and social status characteristics predicted class membership, suggesting that syndemic conditions disproportionately co-occur in vulnerable subpopulations of sexual minority men, such as those experiencing high socioeconomic distress. When predicting HIV-risk behavior, men in the polydrug use and HIV syndemic class were more likely (Adjusted Risk Ratio [ARR] = 2.93, 95% CI: 1.05, 8.21) and men in the alcohol misuse class were less likely (ARR = 0.17, 95% CI: 0.07, 0.44) to report HIV-risk behavior than were men in the no syndemic class. LCA represents a promising methodology to inform the development and delivery of tailored interventions targeting distinct combinations of syndemic conditions to reduce sexual minority men's HIV-risk behavior.

Comparing Indonesian men's health-seeking behavior and likelihood to suffer from illness across sociodemographic factors

Background and objective: This study aims to examine men's health-seeking behavior and likelihood to suffer from acute diseases compared to women. Material and methods: We used the Indonesian National Health Insurance Agency for the period of 2015 and 2016 to obtain information about transactions in primary health facilities. We analyzed the data using negative binomial regression and logistic regression. The incidence rate ratio of health-seeking frequency and the odds ratio of men (compared to women) suffering from infectious diseases (i.e., acute upper respiratory infection; the number one acute disease in Indonesia), top three diagnoses, and non-communicable disease (i.e., mental illness) were assessed. Other sociodemographic variables i.e., age, marital status, and the source of National Health Insurance funding were also analyzed. Results: This study found that adolescent males visited primary health facilities the least often compared to all age groups and were among the top three age groups of men who were most likely to suffer from acute and mental illnesses. Low-income and divorced, self-employed and married, and employed and divorced adolescent men were in the high-risk category of suffering from acute illness; on the other hand, adolescent men who were married and poor were in the high-risk category of suffering from mental illness. This study also found that young men were suffering from acute disease and mental illness, which is worrying for a developing country such as Indonesia. Conclusion: Urgent interventions should be considered moving forward. The findings of this study suggest that men who marry at a young age may experience negative health outcomes.

The gender paradox: do men differ from women in suicidal behavior?

Is men's suicidal behavior different from that of women's? Much research has been devoted to this question since the late 1980s. Scientific literature refers to it as the "Gender Paradox". This term was coined due to the seemingly self-contradictory findings regarding the differences in suicidal behavior between males and females, whereby women attempt suicide more often but more men die by suicide. If there are indeed differences between the sexes, then it is essential to modify the various suicide prevention programs accordingly. This study aimed to investigate whether those differences are real and inherent to the sexes. It attempted to gain a better understanding of the sources of those differences and the reasons behind them by reviewing the available literature on differences between males and females regarding, suicide and suicidal behaviors. The study found that the differences between the sexes regarding suicidal behavior are indeed inherent. Whether these differences associate more with inheritance or genetics is unclear, as is whether they relate to the sex differences or to gender identity. Clearly though, for effective suicide prevention the differences between male and female suicidal behaviors have to be acknowledged, studied separately and prevention and intervention programs have to take these differences into account.

Opportunities to Address Men's Health During the Perinatal Period - Puerto Rico, 2017.

Decreased use of health care services (1), increased exposure to occupational hazards, and higher rates of substance use (2) might contribute to men's poorer health outcomes when compared with such outcomes for women (3). During the transition to fatherhood, paternal health and involvement during pregnancy might have an impact on maternal and infant outcomes (4-6). To assess men's health-related behaviors and participation in fatherhood-related activities surrounding pregnancy, the Puerto Rico Department of Health and CDC analyzed data from the paternal survey of the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System-Zika Postpartum Emergency Response (PRAMS-ZPER)* study. Fewer than one half (48.3%) of men attended a health care visit for themselves in the 12 months before their newborn's birth. However, most fathers attended one or more prenatal care visits (87.2%), were present at the birth (83.1%), and helped prepare for the newborn's arrival (e.g., by preparing the home [92.4%] or purchasing supplies [93.9%]). These findings suggest that opportunities are available for public health messaging directed toward fathers during the perinatal period to increase attention to their own health and health behaviors, and to emphasize the role they can play in supporting their families' overall health and well-being.

The semiotic dominants of initiation physicality

The purpose of the article is to investigate the semiotic dominants of physicality in initiation practices, conditioned by both external and internal representations of human beings. The methodology is based on the use of psychoanalytic, structural-semiotic, philosophical-anthropological, and cultural-historical methods. Scientific novelty. The application of the structural-semiotic approach allows us to reconstruct the symbolic system of physicality as a text having an internal structure and to suggest ways of deciphering this text. The semiotic dominants of initiation physicality on the example of hair, hairstyle, mask, and various manipulations with the body are considered, characteristics of their filling are given. Conclusions. Examples of the semiotic dominants of initiation physicality prove that initiation is represented through the prism of a semiotic process in which physicality is a sign and the context and conditions of its expression are initiations. This theory of sign systems provides an opportunity to interpret the human experience as an interpretive structure in which the way a person uses a sign or acts through initiation practices determines the approach to a perfect image. Models of modern man's behavior are based primarily on the attainment of bodily perfection with the help of hairstyle, makeup, tattooing, piercing, aesthetic methods of surgery, etc. This process is an unconscious means of copying the actions of an archaic person who has used tattoos, scarring, and other manipulations of the body in rituals and rituals of initiation. A promising direction for further research is the detailed study of initiation physicality in contemporary cultural space as an appropriate model of positioning the individual in a society, which proclaims the requirements for manipulation and transformation in order to conform to the image of the body formed by that society.

Increasing access to erectile dysfunction treatment via pharmacies to improve healthcare provider visits and quality of life: Results from a prospective real-world observational study in the United Kingdom.

ObjectivesThe Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency in the United Kingdom (UK) formally reclassified sildenafil citrate 50 mg tablets as a pharmacy medicine (sildenafil‐P) in 2017 for adult men with erectile dysfunction (ED). A 1‐year prospective real‐world observational study was conducted to track men's health behaviour, particularly their healthcare resource utilisation (HCRU) and quality of life (QoL) before and after the availability of sildenafil‐P.MethodsAdult men with ED aged ≥18 years provided data at baseline (prior to launch of sildenafil‐P) and every 3 months after the launch. Demographics, health characteristics, treatments at baseline and HCRU, including number of pharmacist and physician/nurse practitioner visits over time are reported. QoL‐related outcomes were assessed via the Self‐Esteem and Relationship Questionnaire (SEAR), 2‐Item Patient Health Questionnaire and ratings of sexual satisfaction. Generalised linear models were used to assess the association of sildenafil‐P use with total physician/nurse practitioner and pharmacist visits and QoL‐related outcomes at 12 months.ResultsOverall, 1162 men completed the survey at all 5 time points. The mean ± SD age was 59.02 ± 12.06 years; 55.42% reported having a moderate‐to‐severe ED. Hypertension (37.52%) and hypercholesterolaemia (31.50%) were the most common risk factors for ED. At baseline, 62.99% were not using any ED treatment. After adjusting for baseline visits/other covariates, mean physician/nurse practitioner (3.68 vs 2.87; P = .003) and pharmacist visits for any reason (2.10 vs 1.34; P < .001) at 12 months were significantly higher among sildenafil‐P users than those who never used sildenafil‐P. Sildenafil‐P users also had significantly higher SEAR total and domain (sexual relationship and self‐esteem) scores at 12 months.ConclusionFollowing the reclassification to a pharmacy medicine in the UK, sildenafil‐P was associated with a higher number of physician/nurse practitioner and pharmacist visits for any reason. Sildenafil‐P use was also associated with better QoL, although group differences were small in magnitude.

Men's Attitudes and Behaviors About Skincare and Sunscreen Use Behaviors.

Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States, and men experience higher rates of skin cancer than women. Despite publicized preventative measures, men are less likely than women to use sunscreen. To assess men's motivations, behaviors, and preferred product characteristics towards daily sunscreen use. Cross-sectional online survey of 705 men, administered July&ndash; August 2019, using Survey Monkey and distributed through Amazon Mechanical Turk. Men ages 20&ndash;70, having completed at least High School/GED, and living in the United States were eligible. Sampling strategy ensured diversity in terms of race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation. Main Outcome(s) and Measures: Men&rsquo;s sunscreen use, behaviors, and preferred skincare product characteristics. Final participants included 705 men. The most frequent skincare products used regularly were liquid soap/body wash (65%), bar soap (47%), and moisturizers (32%). Most men (n=612; 83%) reported not using sunscreen daily, and 38% reported using sunscreen weekly. Income was related to daily and weekly sunscreen use, as males who earned between $40-$50,000 annually used sunscreen less often compared to people who earned $100,000 annually (OR 0.54%, 95% CI &minus;0.34% to .88%; P = .01). Age, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, and region were not related to daily or weekly sunscreen use. Main motivators for daily sunscreen use included reducing skin cancer risk (n=575; 82%) and looking younger (n=299; 42%). This survey shows lapses in evidenced-based sunscreen behaviors to reduce skin cancer among men. Campaigns to reduce skin cancer should focus on increasing men's interest in daily sunscreen use and adherence to wearing sun-protective products. J Drugs Dermatol. 2021;20(1):88-93. doi:10.36849/JDD.5470.

Masculinity and Help-Seeking Among Men With Depression: A Qualitative Study.

Background: Many studies indicate that men are more reluctant to seek help for mental health problems than women. Traditional ideas of masculinity are often seen as a cause of this phenomenon. However, little is known about the diversity of experiences during the processes of help-seeking and service use among men with depression who have already utilized mental health services. This study aims to explore men's experiences and attitudes toward depression, help-seeking, and service use in order to develop gender-sensitive services.Methods: Narrative-biographical interviews were conducted with men treated for depression (n = 12). Interview topics included individual experience with depression, help-seeking behavior, and mental health service use. Transcripts were analyzed using qualitative content analysis.Results: Before seeking treatment, men's help-seeking behavior was negatively affected by internalized masculine norms. However, findings indicate a change of attitudes toward depression after mental health service use. Men with depression emphasized a salutogenic perspective toward mental health problems and critically reflected on masculine norms. The positive function of men-only groups were described as key for successful service use.Conclusions: Men with depression reported experiences toward help-seeking and service use on four different levels: (i) attitudes toward depression, (ii) perception of societal views on depression, (iii) experiences within the family context and (iv) experiences with mental health services. Interventions to reduce the stigma of being “unmanly” and to improve men's capacity to cope with being unable to work should be developed. Peer-led men-only groups may increase participants' self-esteem and assist in disclosing weaknesses. In the context of GPs' mediating role, training for health professionals concerning the impact of masculine norms on mental health is recommended.

Can HIV-positive gay men become parents? How men living with HIV and HIV clinicians talk about the possibility of having children.

It is now established that people living with HIV who have an undetectable viral load and adhere to antiretroviral treatment cannot transmit HIV to their sexual partners. Previous research has shown that ‘being undetectable’ changes how HIV‐positive gay men experience their sex lives. But how does it affect gay men’s reproductive behaviours? And what influence does it have on views about parenthood at a time when gay fatherhood has become more socially accepted and publicly visible? Drawing on qualitative interviews with patients and clinicians at four HIV clinics in London, we identify differences in how interviewees talked about the possibility of having children for HIV‐positive men. Both groups, unprompted, frequently referred to sperm washing as a method enabling safe conception. However, whereas clinicians talked about sperm washing as an historical technique, which is no longer necessary, patients spoke of it as a current tool. The men rarely mentioned being undetectable as relevant to parenthood and, when prompted, some said that they did not fully understand the mechanics of HIV transmission. Our findings offer new insights into how biomedical knowledge is incorporated into people’s understandings of living with HIV, raising important questions about how the meanings of being undetectable are communicated.

Adherence to cultural values and the internalization of sociocultural appearance ideals are associated with exercise dependence symptoms in Asian/Asian American men

This study examined sociocultural correlates of exercise dependence symptoms (EDSX) in young Asian/Asian American men. We hypothesized that greater adherence to Asian cultural values would be positively associated with EDSX and that the internalization of muscularity and thinness appearance ideals would exacerbate this link. Participants included 266 Asian/Asian American men (18–30y, Mage = 24.4 ± 3.6y; MBMI = 24.2 ± 5 kg/m2) enrolled in a larger study examining disordered eating and body image concerns in ethnically/racially diverse young men. Participants completed an online survey that assessed demographics, adherence to Asian values, internalization of muscularity and thinness appearance ideals, and EDSX. After adjusting for BMI, income, education, and presence of a psychiatric diagnosis, a linear regression model indicated that adherence to Asian values was significantly and positively associated with EDSX (B = 12.13, p = .036). Neither internalization of muscularity (p = .812) nor thinness (p = .967) appearance ideals moderated this association. However, independently, both internalization of muscularity (B = 10.93, p < .001) and thinness appearance ideals (B = 7.92, p < .001) were positively associated with EDSX. The current study highlights the importance of considering cultural factors, such as adherence to traditional norms, in our investigations of EDSX in young Asian/Asian American men and the need to develop tailored interventions for young men's disordered eating symptoms. Our data also support the link between sociocultural ideals of attractiveness and young men's excessive exercise behaviors, contributing to a robust body of literature highlighting the problems with a cultural emphasis on specific body sizes and shapes.

Gender as a Differentiating Factor in the Process of Exiting Unemployment: The Case of Poland

Purpose: The aim of the article is to assess and compare the impact of gender on the probability of a form of de-registration from the labour office in Poland in two different research periods: a period of the financial crisis and economic recovery. Design/Methodology/Approach: The study used survival analysis methods. The cumulative incidence function (CIF) was used to assess the probability of a form of exiting unemployment. To investigate the differences in influence of gender, the Gray test was used. The study was carried out in subgroups separated by the characteristics of unemployed people. Individual data describing persons registered in the Poviat Labour Office were used in the study. Findings: Gender was a feature that differentiated the process of exiting unemployment. In the period of the highest unemployment, the unemployed more often looked for a job through the labour office (mainly women). On the other hand, in the period of economic recovery, they were more inclined (regardless of gender) to resign from cooperation with the office. Women used subsidized work more often than men. Practical Implications: Gender is a determining factor in some socio-economic phenomena. The identification of women's and men's behaviour in the labour market will allow for effective social policy. It will also allow for the correct targeting of professional activation tools so as not to aggravate gender-based discrimination. Such actions may contribute to the improvement of the quality of life in the modern world. Originality/value: In labour market research, researchers often focus on the unemployed taking up work. Other forms of de-registration were also analyzed, including resignation from cooperation with the office. It is important to identify such behaviours and correctly target professional activation tools.

“It’s hard for us men to go to the clinic. We naturally have a fear of hospitals.” Men’s risk perceptions, experiences and program preferences for PrEP: A mixed methods study in Eswatini

Few studies on HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) have focused on men who have sex with women. We present findings from a mixed-methods study in Eswatini, the country with the highest HIV prevalence in the world (27%). Our findings are based on risk assessments, in-depth interviews and focus-group discussions which describe men’s motivations for taking up or declining PrEP. Quantitatively, men self-reported starting PrEP because they had multiple or sero-discordant partners or did not know the partner’s HIV-status. Men’s self-perception of risk was echoed in the qualitative data, which revealed that the hope of facilitated sexual performance or relations, a preference for pills over condoms and the desire to protect themselves and others also played a role for men to initiate PrEP. Trust and mistrust and being able or unable to speak about PrEP with partner(s) were further considerations for initiating or declining PrEP. Once on PrEP, men’s sexual behavior varied in terms of number of partners and condom use. Men viewed daily pill-taking as an obstacle to starting PrEP. Side-effects were a major reason for men to discontinue PrEP. Men also worried that taking anti-retroviral drugs daily might leave them mistaken for a person living with HIV, and viewed clinic-based PrEP education and initiation processes as a further obstacle. Given that men comprise only 29% of all PrEP users in Eswatini, barriers to men’s uptake of PrEP will need to be addressed, in terms of more male-friendly services as well as trialing community-based PrEP education and service delivery.

Romantic relationship trajectories among young African American men: The influence of adverse life contexts.

The development of supportive and committed romantic relationships during emerging adulthood forecasts relationship quality later in adulthood. Many emerging adult African American men are exposed to challenging socioeconomic environments that are known to undermine romantic relationships. Studies of African American men's romantic relationship quality and its antecedents during this developmental period are scarce. The present study investigates longitudinal trajectories of romantic relationship quality among African American emerging adult men and then tests a model linking them to adverse childhood experiences, socioeconomic instability, community disadvantage, and defensive relational schemas. The analytic sample included 331 African American men who reported having a romantic partner, observed during three waves of data collection from ages 19 to age 26. Using men's reports of romantic relationship support, conflict, and dyadic trust, parallel growth mixture modeling was conducted to identify romantic relationship trajectory profiles. We identified three romantic relationship trajectory profiles: Normative, Uncertain, and Conflictual. Structural equation analyses revealed that adverse childhood experiences were associated positively with contemporaneous contextual risk factors (i.e., socioeconomic instability and community disadvantage), which in turn, were associated significantly with membership in Uncertain and Conflictual trajectories through defensive relational schemas. The present study reveals heterogeneous romantic relationships among African American emerging adult men. Findings support the conjoint influences of early adversity and contemporaneous stressors as robust antecedents of African American men's romantic relationship behaviors over time. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Breaking the cycle of intergenerational abuse: A qualitative interview study of men participating in a perinatal program to reduce violence.

Domestic violence and abuse in the perinatal period leads to long-term adverse outcomes for infants, including a greater risk of becoming victims or perpetrators of violence in adulthood. Examining men's beliefs about fatherhood and violence, and their motivations for engaging in programs to reduce violence, is essential to understand how interventions can impact on behavior and break intergenerational cycles of abuse. The aim of this study was to explore the experience of becoming a father in a sample of men who are taking part in a whole-family perinatal program to reduce violence-For Baby's Sake. Ten men who had engaged with For Baby's Sake were interviewed about their experiences and beliefs around fatherhood. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using thematic analysis. Four themes were identified: making sense of violent behavior, conceptions of fatherhood, an emotional transition, and breaking the cycle. The data provide a unique insight into men's beliefs and behaviors at this transition point in their lives. This can aid the development of interventions aimed at breaking the cycle of abuse, indicating ways to harness the motivation for a new start and support men to overcome unhelpful behavior patterns.