Social Media and Online Dating Safety Practices by Adolescent Sexual and Gender Diverse Men: Mixed-Methods Findings From the SMART Study

Jad Sinno, Kathryn Macapagal, Brian Mustanski*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

Purpose: Sexual and gender diverse youth (SGDY) develop and employ safety strategies on their own to manage risks while using dating apps. This study aimed to describe the online dating safety practices of SGDY and determine the effectiveness of an eHealth HIV-prevention educational intervention with dating safety content to promote future safety behaviors. Methods: SGDY aged 13–18 from across the United States (N = 1087) were assigned to increasingly intensive HIV-prevention educational programs using a sequential multiple-assignment randomized trial design. Data were collected at three time points, each three months apart. Participants were asked multiple–choice and open-ended questions about the safety practices they used online and in person; mixed-methods described the safety behaviors of SGDY. Logistic regressions were used to determine psychosocial predictors of safety behaviors and the effectiveness of the intervention in promoting future safety practices. Results: 60% (n = 662) of participants used dating apps, most of whom reported using online (96.4%, n = 638) and in-person (92.9%, n = 615) safety strategies, such as limiting the disclosure of personal information or meeting other users in public. Outness and previous victimization were important psychosocial predictors of engaging in safety behaviors. Additionally, participants who received the online safety education were over 50% more likely to employ certain safety behaviors than SGDY who did not. Discussion: While most SGDY reported at least 1 type of safety strategy when dating online, safety practices differed across psychosocial variables, such as outness. This study provides evidence for the effectiveness of an eHealth educational intervention tailored to SGDY to promote additional safety behaviors.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)113-122
Number of pages10
JournalJournal of Adolescent Health
Volume74
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 2024

Funding

This research was supported by a grant from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities to Brian Mustanski (U01 MD011281). The content of this article is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the views of the National Institutes of Health or the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities.

Keywords

  • Adolescent sexual behavior
  • Sexual and gender diverse males
  • Social media and dating apps

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
  • Psychiatry and Mental health
  • Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Social Media and Online Dating Safety Practices by Adolescent Sexual and Gender Diverse Men: Mixed-Methods Findings From the SMART Study'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this