4101.3: Tuesday, November 14, 2000 - Board 2

Abstract #10907

Correspondence between adolescent and parent reports of relationship quality and implications for risk behavior among adolescents who engage in same-sex relationships

Martha W. Waller, MA and Carolyn Tucker Halpern, PhD. Department of Maternal and Child Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Public Health, CB# 7400, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7400, (919)960-9099, mwaller@email.unc.edu

Compared to heterosexual peers, lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) adolescents are more likely to attempt suicide, and are at increased risk of substance abuse, violence and victimization, sexual abuse, and other risk behaviors. One factor contributing to elevated risk may be a reluctance to disclose their sexual orientation to family or friends, fearing rejection or disapproval; non-disclosure may isolate LGB adolescents from protective social supports. To date, no study has examined the protective effects of a good parent-child relationship for LGB youth, based on reports from both the adolescent and the parent. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, which includes interviews with a nationally representative sample of adolescents in grades 7-12 and their parents, this research explores two questions: 1) What is the correspondence between parent and LGB adolescent perceptions of the quality of their relationship with each other?; 2) Are parent and adolescent perceptions of their relationship quality differentially related to adolescent risk behavior? Kappa will be used to assess the concordance between adolescent and parent ratings. Regression analyses will be used to examine associations between perceptions of relationship quality and adolescent risk behavior as reported by the adolescent. Results will be discussed in terms of the implications for identifying and intervening with at-risk LGB youth.

Learning Objectives: At the end of this paper the reader will be able to: 1. Describe the correspondence between parent and adolescent perceptions of the quality of their relationship with each other. 2. Identify how parent and adolescent perceptions of relationship quality relate to adolescent at risk behavior

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

The 128th Annual Meeting of APHA