Background/Purpose: Early sexual initiation among American adolescents represents a major public health crisis. African American adolescents report earlier age of sexual initiation, which places them at an increased risk of ill health outcomes. Many unexplored factors may influence sexual behavior among adolescents; failure to include African American adolescents in research assessing the influence of media, specifically music lyrics, presents a barrier to obtaining needed information for program development. The purpose of this qualitative study was to obtain information regarding African American adolescents' perceptions of sexual attitudes, music lyrics, and to assess differing perceptions among urban and rural adolescents.
Method: IRB approval was obtained from the associated institution. Parental consent and student assent were secured. This qualitative study utilized a focus group design. Focus groups were separated according to gender with corresponding moderators of the same gender and ethnic background. After the focus group phase, designated exploratory interviews were conducted for each grade level. A survey based on retained information was developed and tested for validity by the primary researcher.
Results: Two primarily African American middle schools in the southeastern United States were selected. Focus groups were conducted (n=12) with 6th to 8th grade students. Twenty students resided in a rural county and 16 students resided in an urban county. Nineteen (n=19) students were female and seventeen (n=17) were male. Students were asked questions regarding factors that they believe influence their perceptions and intentions regarding sexual behaviors, and their perceptions about music lyrics. Focus groups were conducted during school hours; males were in one room and females were in a separate room. Sixth, 7th, and 8th grade students were interviewed separately during their designated exploratory periods. Responses to questions were highly similar irrespective to study site and grade level but responses differed slightly by gender. Adolescents perceived similar influences and had similar perceptions related to music lyrics. Detailed accounts of focus group data will be presented.
Conclusions: Research examining the influence of music lyrics on the sexual attitudes of African American adolescents is limited. The current qualitative study indicated that students do not perceive music as having an influence on their sexual attitudes and behavior. This finding was consistent despite gender, grade level, and study site. Research on this population is crucial for the development of tailored health interventions to address risky sexual behavior of at-risk adolescents.