Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 11, 2026

Comprehensive & Cost Effective Laboratory Monitoring of HIV/AIDS: an African Role Model
Published on: October 31, 2010
Impact of marriage on HIV/AIDS risk behaviors among impoverished, at-risk couples: a multilevel latent variable
Judith A Stein1, Adeline Nyamathi, Jodie B Ullman
1Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA. jastein@ucla.edu
Abstract:
Studies among normative samples generally demonstrate a positive impact of marriage on health behaviors and other related attitudes. In this study, we examine the impact of marriage on HIV/AIDS risk behaviors and attitudes among impoverished, highly stressed, homeless couples, many with severe substance abuse problems. A multilevel analysis of 368 high-risk sexually intimate married and unmarried heterosexual couples assessed individual and couple-level effects on social support, substance use problems, HIV/AIDS knowledge, perceived HIV/AIDS risk, needle-sharing, condom use, multiple sex partners, and HIV/AIDS testing. More variance was explained in the protective and risk variables by couple-level latent variable predictors than by individual latent variable predictors, although some gender effects were found (e.g., more alcohol problems among men). The couple-level variable of marriage predicted lower perceived risk, less deviant social support, and fewer sex partners but predicted more needle-sharing.
Related Concept Videos
Amebiasis
Close Relationships and Culture
Retrovirus Life Cycles
Impact of Social Context on Individuals
Hazard Ratio
For example, in a clinical trial evaluating a...
Bias in Epidemiological Studies