Sensation seeking and risk-taking propensity as mediators in the relationship between childhood abuse and HIV-related risk behavior

Objectives: Although a wealth of literature suggests that childhood physical, emotional, and sexual abuse are related to later-life HIV-related risk behaviors, few studies have explored disinhibition (e.g., impulsivity, risk-taking propensity, and sensation-seeking) as a risk factor in this relationship. Method: This cross-sectional study examined impulsivity, risk-taking propensity, and sensation seeking as mediators in the relationship between abuse history and engagement in HIV-related risk behaviors among a sample of 96 inner-city African American adolescents. Results: Findings indicated that abuse history was positively related to self-reported engagement in HIV-related risk behaviors (B = .027, SE .008, β = .32, sr² = .105, p = .001), as well as risk-taking propensity (B = .35, SE .11, β = .30, sr² = .090, p = .003) and sensation seeking (B = .17, SE .05, β = .35, sr² = .124, p = .0004). Abuse history was not related to impulsivity. Further, while sensation-seeking and risk-taking propensity (to a lesser extent) mediated this relationship, impulsivity did not. Conclusions: These findings provide an initial step in the examination of the mechanisms underlying the relationship between childhood abuse and engagement in HIV-related risk behaviors.