Parent influences on urban young adolescent girls' reports of alcohol use and precursors to sexual intercourse

Background: In urban economically distressed communities, alcohol use combined with early sexual initiation place young females at risk of myriad negative health consequences. These risks are elevated for girls who reside in communities with high levels of HIV and other sexually-transmitted diseases. Although parental involvement is important throughout adolescence, parents of young teens may underestimate not only the risks their daughters are exposed to, but also the considerable influence they still have over what decisions their daughters make with regard to both alcohol use and sex. Methods: Over two years (2005 and 2006), we surveyed over 700 6th grade girls and their parents. The sample was recruited from 7 public schools in New York City; over 70% were African American/Black; most others were Latino. Results: Whereas 22% of girls reported they had used alcohol in the last year, <1% of parents thought their daughters had tried alcohol. Only 6% of parents thought their daughters had hugged and kissed a boy for a long time, whereas a third of the girls reported this behavior. Yet parent influences on behavior are significant, with both alcohol use and early sexual risk behaviors lower among those girls whose parents reported positive parenting practices. Conclusion: The discordance between parents' perceptions of what risks their young adolescent daughters face and what adolescents themselves report is problematic because it may lead to inappropriate or ineffective monitoring, oversight, and communication.