Sensation seeking risk profiles of adolescent alcohol use and sexual behavior

Based on the Bronfenbrenner Ecological framework and using the 1998 National Longitudinal on Youth Young Adult Survey, this study examines psychosocial and environmental factors among youth ages 14 to 21 years at the individual and familial level that predispose teens to self-identify as high versus low risk. Multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) is used to investigate the mean differences of low and high risk proneness scores among adolescents on multiple outcomes or dependent variables i.e. alcohol use and sexual activity based on the covariates of neighborhood quality, perceived closeness between parents and depressive illness symptoms. MANCOVA results(n=1379)show significant differences between those teens with high alcohol severity use in past 30 days versus sexual risk taking on all factors except for perceived parental closeness, gender and race. Discriminant analysis was also performed to determine risk group profiles. Findings reveal that those adolescents who perceive themselves as risk prone (high likelihood to engage in sensation) are younger, white males, who report worse perceived parental closeness (low agreement on rules), and rate their neighborhood quality as low. In contrast, those adolescents who view themselves as risk adverse (lower likelihood to engage in sensation seeking) are older African American females, with less depressive symptoms, higher perceived parental closeness, but lower quality neighborhoods. Assessment of risk profiles are discussed in the context of developing targeted interventions and evaluation effectiveness of such program strategies.