Sexual, Substance, and Delinquency-Related Risk Domain Patterns Among Youth Ages 18-24: Risk Behavior Latent Classes

Introduction

Adolescence and young adulthood are marked by increasing and peaking risk-taking, including sexual, substance use, and delinquency behaviors. Are the same youth engaging in risk behaviors across all three domains or for select combinations of domains? Risk-taking behaviors have traditionally been characterized within domain (sexual, substance, delinquency) and as continuous variables. This study tests to what extent lifetime sexual, substance use, and delinquent risk-taking behaviors are interdependent or domain specific and what characteristics differentiate emergent groups of individuals with distinct risk behavior classes.

Methods

Among 18 to 24 year olds living (N=126; M age = 21.3, SD = 1.9; 52% Black; 56% female) in or near a major urban city, gold standard methods and measures – including Audio Computer Assisted Self-Interview (ACASI), clinical samples (urines), and neuropsychological tests – were used to assess risk-taking behaviors, demographic characteristics, risk proclivity, executive cognitive functioning, stressful events and stress coping. Using Latent Class Analysis (LCA), different behavioral risk-taking patterns were examined. One-way ANOVA tests with Post Hoc pairwise comparisons tested class differences by risk determinants.

Results

Latent class analysis revealed three classes of distinctive risk behavior patterns: “Normative” (56%), “Nonviolent – Low Arrest” (29%), and “Violent- High Arrest” (18%). The three classes significantly differed in sex, race, age, free and reduced lunch eligibility, age at the first drug use, attitudes toward risk, sensation seeking, distraction, perceptional-verbal intelligence, total number of stressful events, and two of the coping strategies (i.e., problem focused coping and support seeking). Risk-taking behavior patterns differ in type and level across youth.

Conclusions

Not all youth engage in the same types and levels of risk-taking behaviors. For this reason, programs need to more beyond a “one-size-fits-most” model. The findings suggest group-based prevention and intervention strategies may reduce or prevent non-normative risk-taking behaviors, especially those with lifelong consequences such as violent behaviors related to arrest. Programs designed to improve youths’ stress coping, emotional regulation and cognitive control skills are needed at earlier ages. Creating opportunities to improve the positive coping strategies of youth is one major implication of this study that will be discussed.