Youth Asset Group Associations with Safer Sex Practices

Teen pregnancy rates are again increasing despite programs promoting abstinence and increased use of birth control. This study examined associations between youth assets and safer sex (SS, i.e., youth who were abstinent or used birth control every time they had sex) using data from the Youth Asset Study, a 5-wave, 4-year longitudinal study of youth/parent pairs to prospectively investigate associations among youth risk behaviors and 17 youth assets believed to influence behavior at multiple levels including individual (7 assets, e.g., responsible choices), family (4 assets, e.g., family communication), and community (6 assets, e.g., community involvement). Youth who reported no sexual intercourse at baseline (N=817; Mean age 14.0; 41% White, 21% African-American, 29% Hispanic; 9% other) were followed for 4 years to determine differences in asset groups between youth reporting SS (N=513) and those who did not. Results indicated a significant asset group by family income interaction for all three asset groups (individual, family, and community) after adjusting for age, gender, race, and family structure. Youth in homes with <$5,000 incomes with 3 or 4 family or 3 community assets were about 2 times as likely to report SS compared to those with 0-1 family or community assets. In higher income homes (>$62,000), youth with 7 versus 0-4 individual assets were 4 times as likely to report SS. Recognizing family income as an important factor influencing asset/safer sex associations can inform future program development. Future research should explore associations among specific assets and SS.