The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #66488

Antonia S. Mead, MS, CHES, Angela T. Johnson, MA, CHES, M. Christine Nagy, PhD, and Stephen Nagy, PhD. Department of Health Science, The University of Alabama, P.O. Box 870311, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, (205) 348-1292, mead003@bama.ua.edu

The purpose of this study was to examine predictors of coital initiation and determine whether these same predictors also predicted violence in young rural adolescents. 1052 middle school students living in three rural counties in the Alabama "Black Belt" participated in the study. Predictors of coital initiation included scales examining norms toward abstinence, perceptions of parental support, negative outcomes of sex, perceptions of peer support, future orientation self-efficacy, and intentions to have sex. Three types of violent behavior were analyzed using seven violence measures: victim, perpetrator of violence, and carrying a weapon. Logistic regression analyses utilized demographic measures of living arrangement, ethnicity, and gender in conjunction with the above scales to predict the violence measures. Perceptions of parental support, intentions to have sex and negative outcomes of sex were scales that showed consistent relationships with violence measures. More positive scores toward abstaining from sex also had strong relationships with non-violence measures (p <.05). Odds ratios ranged from 1.5 to 3.8. Demographic measures of ethnicity, gender and living arrangement had inconsistent relationships with the violence measures. Generally, the predictors of coital initiation showed stronger relationships with violence measures than the demographic factors. Implications are that interventions designed to modify the predictors of coital initiation may also modify violence behaviors. These results are consistent with Problem Behavior Theory and encourage the development of prevention programming that addresses common antecedents of problem behaviors.

Learning Objectives:

• At the conclusion of the session, conference attendees will be able to:
• • identify students who are more likely to engage in violent behavior.
  • identify predictors of coital initiation that show strong relationships with violent behavior.

Keywords: Sexual Risk Behavior, Adolescent Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
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.