Longitudinal predictors of early sexual initiation among an urban middle school sample

Background: Early sexual initiation is associated with risk of unintended pregnancy/STI. Based on Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory, environmental and psychosocial predictors aid in the prediction of early sexual behavior. However, only few longitudinal studies have examined theoretical predictors of early sexual initiation. The purpose of this study was to prospectively examine the demographic, environmental, dating, pre-sexual, and psychosocial correlates associated with early sexual initiation. Methods: Students at 5 predominantly African-American and Latino middle schools participated in this study (n=599) as the control group for an HIV, STI, and pregnancy prevention trial. Students were surveyed at the beginning of 7th grade (baseline) and end of 8th grade. Demographic, environmental (e.g., family), dating, pre-sexual, and psychosocial variables were measured at baseline. Sexual behavior was measured at the end of the 8th-grade. Students who had initiated sex at baseline (n=73) were excluded from analyses. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used; multilevel modeling controlled for clustered study design. Results: Baseline sample was 57.1% female, 43.5% black, 41.9% Hispanic, mean age was 12.5 (SD=0.69) years. In unadjusted analyses, risk factors included being male, African-American, having poor school grades, parental communication about HIV/STI, pre-sexual behavior, perceived friends' sexual behavior, participation in risky situations, greater intentions to have vaginal sex, and lower intentions to remain abstinent until marriage. In the multivariate model, only male gender, pre-sexual behavior, perceived friends' behavior, and intentions to remain abstinent until marriage remained significant. Conclusion: Implications for the development of effective HIV/STI/pregnancy prevention programs in early adolescence will be discussed.