Examination Date

3-29-2019

Degree

Dissertation

Degree Program

Community Health Science

Examination Committee

Tung-Sung Tseng; Melinda Sothern; Donna Williams; Virgina Ramseyer Winter

Abstract

Reproductive health remains a serious public health concern in the U.S. According to the CDC, there have been recent increases in Chlamydia, Neisseria gonorrhea, and syphilis, three common and reportable sexually transmitted infections (STIs), for the first time since 2006 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2015). Given the increase in these STIs and their potential consequences on reproductive health, it is important to explore possible distal antecedents to risky sexual behavior that are malleable through interventions. The purpose of this study was twofold: 1) to investigate whether an abbreviated model of objectification theory as originally proposed to explain the etiology of eating pathology can be extended to reproductive health and sexual risk and 2) to examine the influence of attachment style on body image and sexual risk and reproductive health among a web-based sample of adult women ages 18-65. The results from this dissertation found that body image is a distal mechanism related to sexual risk that is influenced by self-surveillance. This dissertation also found support for the presence of a moderation effect of attachment style. For participants in the “dismissing” category and for those in the “fearful” category, as appearance orientation increased, sexual risk also increased. Further, for participants in the “fearful category” the likelihood of adhering to recommended reproductive health screenings also increased with appearance orientation. This dissertation identified self-surveillance and body image as possible distal antecedents to sexual and reproductive risk behaviors that can be modified through targeted behavioral interventions.

Comments

This dissertation is not held in the Libraries' print collection.

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