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Abstract #157734

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John S. Santelli, MD, MPH¹, Marion Carter, PhD², Patricia Dittus, PhD³, and Mark Orr, PhD¹. (1) Department of Population and Family Health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 60 Haven Ave. #B2, New York, NY 10032, 212-304-5200, js2637@columbia.edu, (2) Axiom Resources Management, Inc., Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, PO Box 90, Plot 5348 Ditlhakore Way, Gaborone, Botswana, (3) Division of STD Prevention, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd, MS-E44, Atlanta, GA 30333

Background: Research on adolescent health risk behaviors demonstrates that risk behaviors often occur together, suggesting that youth involvement with one risk behavior status may inform understanding of other risk behaviors. Little is know about co-variation among sexual behaviors and other risk behaviors over time.

Methods: We analyzed 1991–2005 data (n ~ 107,000) from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey, a nationally representative survey of U.S. high school students. We categorized students into groups based on lifetime and recent involvement in nonsexual risk behaviors, such as smoking and drug use. We examined each group's prevalence of and trends for four sexual behaviors: ever sexual intercourse, 4+ lifetime partners, current sexual activity, and use of contraception at last sex. Logistic regression tested whether trends in sexual behaviors differed by nonsexual risk behavior groups. Quadratic terms assessed nonlinear (U-shaped) change over time.

Results: Involvement in both lifetime and recent nonsexual risk behaviors increased after 1991, peaked circa 1997-1999, and then decreased. Linear trends in sexual risk behaviors were similar across risk groups, with the exception of ever sexual intercourse which showed a quadratic trend for several risk groups. Ever had sex and 4+ lifetime sexual partners varied considerably by risk group; differences in current sexual activity and contraceptive use across groups were less pronounced.

Conclusions: These results suggest that prevention efforts have been successful across a broad range of adolescent groups, including those who engage in multiple nonsexual risk behaviors.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify 4 adolescent sexual risk behaviors as measured in the Youth Risk Behavior Survey.
• Describe how trends in non sexual risk behaviors, such as smoking and drug use, are associated with trends in sexual risk behaviors in adolescents.
• Discuss the policy and programmatic implications of trends in sexual risk behaviors, specifically prevention efforts for adolescents.

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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