Prevalence and factors associated to sexual behavior in Puerto Rican adolescents
P. R. health sci. j
;
26(4): 355-366, Dec. 2007.
Article
in English
| LILACS
| ID: lil-491642
ABSTRACT
Sexual relations with intercourse (ASR-I) and high prevalence of teen pregnancies (19.2%, in 2002) among adolescents in Puerto Rico constitute a serious biopsychosocial problem. Studying the consequences and correlates of ASR-I in community and mental health samples of adolescents is important in designing and implementing sexual health programs. Randomized representative cross-sectional samples of male and female adolescents from 11-18 years old (N = 994 from the general community, N = 550 receiving mental health services) who had engaged in ASR-I were the subjects of this study. Demographic, family, and sexual data and the DISC-IV were collected from individual interviews. Logistic regression models, bivariate odds ratios, Chi-squares, and t tests were used in the statistical analysis. The mental health sample showed higher rates of ASR-I, lifetime reports of pregnancy and lower age of ASR-I onset for females. No gender difference in the prevalence of ASR-I was observed in both samples. Older adolescents from the community sample meeting psychiatric diagnosis criteria, and with lower parental monitoring, were more likely to engage in ASR-I, whereas in the mental health sample, adolescents with lower parental monitoring and parental involvement reported significantly more ASR-I. Prevalence of ASR-I and Risky Sexual Behavior (RSB) were almost identical. Adolescents with mental health disorders initiate and engage in ASR-I earlier and more frequently regardless of gender. Older adolescents are more likely to engage in ASR-I and parent-child relationships emerged as a highly relevant predictor of adolescent sexual behavior. The high correspondence between ASR-I and RSB has important clinical implications.
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Index:
LILACS (Americas)
Main subject:
Sexual Behavior
Type of study:
Controlled clinical trial
/
Prevalence study
/
Prognostic study
/
Risk factors
Limits:
Adolescent
/
Child
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Country/Region as subject:
Caribbean
/
Puerto Rico
Language:
English
Journal:
P. R. health sci. j
Journal subject:
Medicine
Year:
2007
Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Puerto Rico
Institution/Affiliation country:
University of Puerto Rico/PR
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