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Abstract #152850

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Kristin H. McIntosh, MPH, CHES¹, Justin B. Moore, PhD, MS², Lloyd Novick, MD, MPH², and Omur Cinar Elci, MD, PhD². (1) Health Education Division, Adolescent Health Program, Wayne County Health Department, 301 N. Herman Street, Box CC, Goldsboro, NC 27530, (2) Division of Community Health and Preventive Medicine, Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, 1709 West Sixth Street, Greenville, NC 27384, 252-744-4039, moorej@ecu.edu

The purpose of this study was to examine possible predisposing factors which may contribute to adolescents' early sexual behavior in rural and urban communities. Due to the detrimental public health impact of adolescents engaging in early sexual activity, there is a pressing need to explore predisposing factors associated with risky adolescent sexual behavior. Sexual behaviors, demographics, family structure, history of abuse, sexually active friends, and substance use were analyzed with a sample population of 410 rural and urban Wayne County, North Carolina adolescents, aged 10 to 19 years, who were enrolled in a school-based health center between 2005 and 2007, and reported on the Guidelines for Adolescent Preventative Services questionnaire of engaging in high-risk sexual behaviors. Black students residing in single-parent urban households were more likely to engage in sex earlier than other analyzed ethnic groups [OR=5.2; 95% CI=1.1, 23.6]. As age increased, risk of engaging in sex also increased. Rural students were at a higher risk of engaging in early sexual behaviors due to reporting history of abuse, than students residing in urban areas [OR=2.6; 95% CI=1.0, 6.8]. Students who reside in a single- or no-parent household had requested more health education services than those who reside in a dual-parent household. In a logistic regression model, a negative association was observed with parental communication among urban adolescents [OR=0.3; 95% CI=0.1, 0.9]. There is a strong racial disparity on early sexual behavior in Eastern North Carolina. Family structure, education, and communication were among the significant predisposing factors.

Learning Objectives:

• Recognize the racial disparity on early sexual behavior among Eastern North Carolina adolescents.
• Recognize predisposing factors associated with early adolescent sexual activity
• Understand how parental communication impacts sexual behavior among rural and urban adolescents.

Keywords: Adolescents, Sexual Risk Behavior

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No
Any institutionally-contracted trials related to this submission?

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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