Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: The aim of this research is to explain risky sexual behavior among adolescents. Young people ages 13 to 19 account for 13 percent of all new HIV cases, with females accounting for 61 percent of the HIV infections (CDC, 2004). There is great urgency to address this problem given that the rates of HIV infection in adolescents have not abated (CDC, 2004). We examined two key factors of parental influence on two widely used indices of risky sexual behavior known to predict STDs and HIV infection: unprotected sexual activity and the number of sexual partners. In particular, we examined the adolescents’ perception of parental authority and expressed affection on condom use and number of sexual partners. We believe that these parental factors influence the decisions adolescents make regarding their sexual lives.

Parental authority is defined by the amount of control parents have over the life of an adolescent. Parents may exert their control in various ways related to decision-making such as time of nightly curfew, friends, clothes, diet and television programs. We expect a U-shape relationship with the least and the greatest parental authority/control relating to riskier sexual behavior. Little guidance or direction from parents may allow permissive behaviors, while controlling and rigid parents may induce reactive and risky behaviors.

Expressed affect is defined by the sentiments and feelings expressed by the parents or parent toward the adolescent. Do adolescents feel nurtured, accepted, loved and wanted? We expect those adolescents who perceived themselves to be more accepted and loved to be happier, more secure, less depressed and to exhibit less risky behavior. We expect kids in more emotionally restrictive and indifferent environments to experience less happiness, depression and loneliness and to engage in riskier behavior. Thus, we expect parental expressiveness to be related to the emotional states and sexual behaviors of the adolescents.

Analysis will be performed by using data from the National Study of Adolescent Health, 1994-1996. This survey contains a broad array of questions related to adolescent behaviors, perceptions, and attitudes on myriad of areas of their lives. There are several questions that directly and indirectly capture parental authoritativeness and parental expressed affect. In order to capture the nuances within these concepts, exploratory factor analysis will be performed. Then, risky sexual behavior will be predicted in a multivariate context by the parental and adolescent variables as developed from the factor analysis.

Outline of Actual Display Presentation

Salient Points from Literature Review

Hypotheses

Data and Sample

Methods

Table of Factor Analysis

Table of Multivariate Model for Parental Authoritativeness

Table of Multivariate Model for Parental Expressed Affect

Table of Multivariate Model for Parental Authoritativeness and Expressed Affect

Conclusions
Discussion and Limitations