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PubMed1989

Sexual behavior and contraceptive risk taking among sexually active adolescent females.

Drawing on DeLamater's conceptual model of premarital contraceptive activity, this study assessed the relationships between various social, developmental, and behavioral variables and contraceptive risk taking by sexually active adolescent females. The hypotheses were tested on a national random sample of unmarried sexually active adolescent females (n = 1512) ages 15-20 years from Cycle III of the National Survey of Family Growth. The number of years the subjects had been sexually active was the strongest predictor of their frequency of sexual intercourse, followed by their frequency of attendance at religious services. The inverse relationship between religious attendance and coital frequency was much stronger among whites than blacks. When the influence of these variables on contraceptive risk taking was assessed, coital frequency explained 7.2% of the variation in contraceptive risk taking, with the number of years the adolescent had been dating explaining a small amount of additional variation. Our data support not only the first stage of DeLamater's conceptual model of premarital contraceptive activity, but also aspects of Jessor's more general theory of adolescent risk taking and problem behavior.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

The precaution adoption process.

This article presents a critique of current models of preventive behavior. It discusses a variety of factors that are usually overlooked-including the appearance of costs and benefits over time, the role of cues to action, the problem of competing life demands, and the ways that actual decision behavior differs from the rational ideal implicit in expectancy-value and utility theories. Such considerations suggest that the adoption of new precautions should be viewed as a dynamic process with many determinants. The framework of a model that is able to accommodate these additional factors is described. This alternative model portrays the precaution adoption process as an orderly sequence of qualitatively different cognitive stages. Data illustrating a few of the suggestions made in the article are presented, and implications for prevention programs are discussed.

Accident Prevention↗
PubMed1990

Contraceptive behavior among sexually active Hispanic adolescents.

The purpose of this study was to examine those factors associated with the contraceptive behavior of a national representative sample of Hispanic female adolescents. The subjects included all (n = 85) unmarried, sexually active Hispanic women, aged 15 to 19, from the 1982 National Survey of Family Growth. Contraceptive behavior was measured on a normalized scale, ranging from oral contraceptives to no contraception. Mexican/American and Central/South American background females were more likely (p less than 0.031) to use effective birth control than Puerto Rican, Cuban, and other Hispanic background subjects. Twenty additional social, behavioral, and demographic variables were found to be significantly associated (p less than 0.05) with contraceptive behavior. Based on multiple regression analysis, seven of these variables were found to explain 62% (p less than 0.0001) of the variation in the contraceptive behavior of this sample. Poorer contraceptive behavior was associated with noncompliance with the initial birth control method used (33.8%), lower coital frequency (8.3%), older postmenarchial age (5.7%), failure to use birth control at first coitus (4.6%), fewer years dating (4.0%), lower frequency of church attendance (3.3%), and never having experienced a pregnancy scare (2.0%). These findings suggest that the contraceptive behavior of Hispanic female adolescents is a dynamic process that can be understood in the context of previous sexual and contraceptive behavior.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Television and adolescent sexuality.

Existing studies of the sexual content of television programming and advertising and the effects of this content on adolescent viewers are reviewed. Content studies show that the frequency of sexual references have increased in the past decade and are increasingly explicit. Studies of the effects of this content, while scarce, suggest that adolescents who rely heavily on television for information about sexuality will have high standards of female beauty and will believe that premarital and extramarital intercourse with multiple partners is acceptable. They are unlikely to learn about the need for contraceptives as a form of protection against pregnancy or disease. Suggestions for future research and trends in television programming policies are explored.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Sexual intercourse, contraception, and risk-taking behavior among unselected French adolescents aged 11-20 years.

An epidemiological study was carried out among 4,255 adolescents, aged 11-19 years, randomly selected from secondary schools in a northern urban area of France. The questionnaire concerned sexual activity, contraception, health status, licit and illicit drug consumption, and other risk-taking behavior. A total of 31% of the adolescents had had sexual relations (43% of the boys, 20% of the girls). Sexual activity increased with age. A large majority (70%) of the sexually active adolescents used some form of contraception. The study confirms the relationship between smoking, drinking, illicit drug consumption, and sexual activity, but shows that contraceptive behavior is not related to problem behavior.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Factors influencing breast-feeding among adolescents.

During a 15-month study period, 244 adolescent mothers under 18 years of age were surveyed, of whom 53% elected to breast-feed. A subset of 60 primiparous breast-feeding adolescents were studied regarding the influence of several factors on the duration of breast-feeding. An attitude questionnaire was administered in the hospital within 48 hours of delivery. Follow-up interviews were obtained by telephone or in person at approximately 2 weeks and 2 months after birth. Eighty-three percent made the decision to breast-feed before the third trimester. Thirty-five percent discontinued breast-feeding within the first postpartum month, the most common reason being "nipple confusion" in the infant; 22% nursed for more than 1 month but less than 2 months, and 43% breast-fed for 2 months or more. None of the variables examined (maternal age, ethnic group, education level, involvement of the baby's father, timing of the breast-feeding decision, intended duration of breast-feeding, age at which formula supplementation was started, or availability of maternal support) was predictive of the duration of breast-feeding. Contrary to adolescent stereotypes, 65% of mothers chose breast-feeding because it was "good for the baby," and 67% identified the "closeness" of the nursing relationship as the most enjoyable part of breast-feeding. Twenty-eight percent cited modesty issues about breast-feeding as the greatest disadvantage, and 17% returned to work or school within the first 2 postpartum months, posing additional obstacles to breast-feeding. Our data suggest that adolescents are receptive to breast-feeding, but they may require close follow-up and anticipatory guidance tailored to their individual needs.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Context and content: the impact of school-leaving and school-based health education on AIDS-relevant cognitions.

A survey examined health beliefs and intentions among 690 16-18 year-olds in Dundee. Respondents in the younger cohort (n = 363) were classified according to their educational situation (at school vs left) and self-reports of having received AIDS/HIV-relevant health education. Both remaining in school and receiving AIDS/HIV-relevant health education had independent beneficial effects, but the effects of leaving school also interacted with sex of respondent and with amount of relevant education received prior to leaving. Males' and females' reliance on mass media and other information sources diverged once they left school, indicating that males who leave school early are most likely to disregard useful or important information regarding AIDS. Consistent with this finding, leaving school reduced the difference between males' and females' intention to use condoms with a new partner. The beneficial impact of having previously received AIDS/HIV-relevant education on beliefs concerning the controllability of the epidemic and on feeling worried about everyday contact with a person with HIV/AIDS, was most marked among those who had left school. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for health education strategies.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Female education, age, parity, and reproduction cessation in Ghana.

Data from the 1988 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey is employed to determine the existence of a relationship between the amount of education a woman has and her intent to cease childbearing. The findings are that with increasing levels of education, a female's desire to cease reproduction also increases. However, this relationship is obscured if parity is not controlled.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Predictors of repeat pregnancy outcome among black and Puerto Rican adolescent mothers.

This prospective study investigated predictors of repeat pregnancies by 12 months after the delivery of a first child and their outcomes in inner-city adolescent mothers. The sample included four groups: those who had therapeutic abortions, miscarriages, full-term deliveries, and no repeat pregnancy. The therapeutic abortion group had more pregnancies before their first delivery (41%) than did full term (20%) and no repeat (15%), p less than .01. More delayed grade placement was found in therapeutic abortion -1.6 years (1.3) and full term -1.8 years (.9) than in no repeat pregnancy -.6 years (1.1), p less .001. Reading achievement scores were higher in no repeat 86.3 (17.1) than in full term 75.0 (16.5), p less than .05. School attendance was higher in no repeat (65%) than in therapeutic abortion (35%) and full-term (24%) p less than .01 groups. Depressive symptoms at baseline were higher among therapeutic aborters 18.9 (9.9) than among full term 10.2 (8.2) and no repeat pregnancy groups 12.2 (6.2). Logistic regression analyses identified delayed grade placement as the most important predictor of pregnancy outcome.

Achievement↗
PubMed1992

Determinants of sexual habits in Italian females.

OBJECTIVE: To identify characteristics of women reporting multiple sexual partners and early age at first intercourse in Italy. METHOD: Information on 1139 control women (median age 54 years) interviewed as part of a case-control study of cervical neoplasia conducted in the greater Milan area, Northern Italy were analysed using stratified analysis and multiple logistic regression. RESULTS: Overall, 81% of the study sample reported no more than one sexual partner, 10% two and 9% three or more. The proportion reporting multiple sexual partners tended to be higher among younger and more educated women (4% vs 19% of women with respectively less than 7 and 12 or more years of education reported three or more partners). Ever smokers reported a higher number of sexual partners than never smokers. The proportion of nulliparae reporting three or more sexual partners was higher than that of parous women. These findings were confirmed after taking into account in a multivariate analysis the role of potential confounding factors. Furthermore similar findings emerged from an analysis restricted to women aged 40 years or less. Always considering number of sexual partners, no relationship emerged with marital status, spontaneous or induced abortions, lifetime number of reported Pap smears and contraceptive habits. With reference to age at first intercourse, 25% of the study population reported their first intercourse at age 18 or before, 34% between 19 and 22 years, and 41% at age 23 or later. Younger women (that is, more recent cohorts) more frequently reported earlier age at first intercourse and the proportion of never married women reporting early intercourse was higher (51% vs 22% of never married vs married women). No relationship emerged between education, smoking habits, parity, history of spontaneous or induced abortions, number of Pap smears, contraceptive habits, and age at first intercourse. CONCLUSION: This study documents conservative sexual habits in Northern Italian females (at least on the basis of self reporting) but indicates that any educational compaigns towards safe sex should be focused towards younger women, particularly smokers, unmarried and nulliparae.

Abortion, Induced↗
PubMed1992

A study of the cognitive aspects of sexual decision making in adolescent females.

A comprehensive sexuality questionnaire was administered to 37 females, ages 13 through 16 years, who attended clinics for routine health care. Subjects completed standardized scales of self-concept, locus of control, and future orientation. They also were given a short battery of standardized cognitive tests. Three groups were identified: Group 1 was sexually active and using contraception reliably, Group 2 was not using contraception reliably, and Group 3 had not been sexually active. Group 1 adolescents had higher scores on the vocabulary subtest of the WISC-R (F = 3.4, p less than .05) than did Group 2 adolescents, over and above the effect of socioeconomic status (SES). Group 1 subjects had higher scores on knowledge of sex and contraception than did Group 2 (F = 3.3, p less than .05). Group 1 had more internal locus of control (F = 7.0, p less than .005) than did Group 2 over and above the effect of SES. Mean scores for Group 3 adolescents were intermediate and not significantly different. The findings suggest that cognitive factors may influence contraceptive behavior in adolescent females.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Women's status and fertility: successive cross-sectional evidence from Tamil Nadu, India, 1970-80.

This study explores linkages between the status of women and fertility over time in Tamil Nadu, India, using sample survey data for currently married women aged 35-44 in 1970 and 1980. The effects of individual indicators of the status of women on fertility are decomposed into effects through each of the proximate variables, notably those affecting marriage duration, marital fertility, and contraception. There is considerable variation in the direction and magnitude of the relationships between the status indicators and fertility behavior and in the relationship to the underlying mechanisms at the two points in time. On balance, the evidence suggests improvements in the status of women come to exert an increasingly negative effect on fertility over the course of demographic transition.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Alcohol use as a situational influence on young women's pregnancy risk-taking behaviors.

Recent studies have found that many young women just beginning their sexual lives use alcohol prior to intercourse. A large number appear to drink heavily enough prior to sex to compromise their ability to use contraceptives. The question emerges whether there is a relationship between drinking before intercourse, the nonuse of birth control methods, and unplanned pregnancies. The present research describes 43 instances of intercourse which resulted in unplanned pregnancies in 14- to 21-year-olds. Variables examined included alcohol use prior to sex, amount of alcohol consumed, the use of other drugs, the planning of intercourse, respondents' stated reasons for nonuse of contraceptives, and other general demographic data.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

The determinants of sexuality among adolescent school girls in Kenya.

One thousand seven hundred and fifty one Secondary school girls aged 12 to 19 years were interviewed by means of a self-administered questionnaire. 416 (23.8%), of them reported to have been sexually experienced at the time of the study. 4.1% of the sexually experienced girls had started sex below the age of 10 years, some of whom had been raped. The low and middle class private schools in the city centre had higher incidence of sexually experienced girls. The same was observed in those girls staying away from their parents. Majority of the sexually experienced girls had started coitus within one to two years of attaining menarche or having a boyfriend. Some of these girls may have been forced to indulge in sex by the men/boys or circumstances. Lack of factual knowledge, parental guidance and lust for material gains are some of the factors the girls felt may be responsible for the upsurge in adolescent sexual behaviour. The role played by these factors in adolescent sexuality is discussed, and possible remedial measures are suggested.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Teenage pregnancy in the United States.

One out of every 10 women aged 15-19 becomes pregnant each year in the United States. Of these pregnancies, five out of every six are unintended--92 percent of those conceived premaritally, and half of those conceived in marriage. The teenage pregnancy rate is high because only a minority (one in three) of sexually active young women always use contraceptives, and only one in two of these women rely on the most effective methods. The two most common reasons given by adolescents for not using contraceptives are believing that the risk of pregnancy is small, and failing to anticipate intercourse. Experience in other developed countries clearly shows that the incidence of adolescent pregnancy can be reduced if effective contraceptives are made widely available. Although high quality sex education programs that include information about contraception, reproductive biology and responsible sexual behavior can enhance the effectiveness of contraceptive delivery systems, they are not a substitute for the actual provision of services and supplies. However, there is formidable political opposition to the provision of such services by a vocal minority who believe that the crux of the problem is premarital sexual activity, and that lowering the cost of such behavior by reducing the risk of pregnancy will both legitimize adolescent sex and increase its prevalence. Consequently, there is a political impasse that guarantees a continuing large number of adolescent pregnancies. Further, even if contraceptives and sex education were readily available to all adolescents, there would still be a pool of teenagers who would see little benefit in postponing parenthood. This pool would be composed overwhelmingly of the poor and of blacks and Hispanics. Increasing the demand for pregnancy prevention among young women and men in this hard-core, high-risk group will be extremely hard to achieve without a fundamental restructuring of society.

Adolescent↗