Session: Abstracts of Distinction: Pathways, Profiles, and Predictors of Adolescent Sexual Behavior Explained through Diverse Methods (Society for Prevention Research 25th Annual Meeting)

SESSION INTRODUCTION: The three papers in this symposium focus on individual and environmental factors contributing to the sexual debut and decision making of adolescents. Risky sexual behavior is linked to the transmission of HIV/AIDS, unintended pregnancy, and other risk taking behavior such as substance abuse and delinquency. Each of these papers uses distinct quantitative methods, including both cross-sectional and longitudinal, to examine factors that contribute to sexual behavior in adolescence, particularly onset of sex. Together, these papers further the understanding of why and when adolescents initiate sex and how prevention can be used to prevent sexual risk taking among adolescents. 

The first paper, “Constructing Latent Classes of Sexual Abstinence Motives Endorsed by South African High School Learners” developed latent profiles to explore the motivations for delaying sexual debut, a risk-reducing behavior. The best fitting model suggested seven different classes with distinct groups differentially related to level of risk taking behavior. Membership in the class including all motivations for delaying sex was related to reduced risk taking and fewer risk factors than membership in other classes. Results can be used to identify groups with increased vulnerability to sexual risk taking.

The second paper, “Using Boredom to Compare Competing Sexual Risks in Adolescence” utilized a survival analysis to compare various competing risks at sexual debut. The authors used individual trait boredom and gender to predict the hazard score for sexual debut with no co-occurring risk and sexual debut with co-occurring risks. The results allow prevention scientists to identify which risky behaviors at sexual debut could be targeted by designing prevention components that target adolescent boredom.

The third paper, “The Risk of Doing Activities Because There is Nothing Else to Do: Unpacking Intervention Effects on Delaying Sexual Activity Onset and Reducing Substance Use” examined the impact of the HealthWise intervention on adolescent risky sex and substance use. Mediation models examined how choosing free time activities because ‘there is nothing else to do’ mediates the impact of treatment on risky behavior. Results indicated HW delayed boys’ sexual debut and girls’ polysubstance use. Intervention effects were mediated by boys’ going to parks and girls hanging out with friends because there was nothing else to do.

The discussant will discuss the implications of findings on policy and practice for adolescent risk prevention.