141st APHA Annual Meeting

In This section

286563
It's not all beaches and palm trees: How Florida youth measure up to u.s. youth in sexual health

Monday, November 4, 2013 : 11:30 AM - 11:45 AM

Sarah Maness, MPH , Department of Community and Family Health, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
Helen Mahony, MPH , Department of Community and Family Health, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
Eric R. Buhi, MPH, PhD , Department of Community and Family Health, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
The U.S. lags behind other developed nations in teen birth rates and sexually transmitted infections, and Florida youth are disproportionately affected. Employing 2011 CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) data, the purpose of this research was to compare Florida and U.S. high school youth sexual behaviors, in general and by gender and race/ethnicity, to identify disparities. Measures included ever having had sexual intercourse, intercourse before the age of 13 (early sex), condom use at last sex, oral contraceptive pill (OCP) use at last sex, and long acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) use. A t-test analysis of weighted proportions between Florida (N=6,212) and U.S. youth (N=15,425) was conducted using the CDC's Youth Online: High School YRBS database. Results indicated statistically significant differences in four of five analyzed behaviors, all of which were worse for Florida youth compared with U.S. youth (except for condom use) (p=.03). Florida youth were more likely to report early sex (p<.01) and less likely to have used OCPs (p<.01). Florida youth were also less likely to have used LARCs, including subgroup differences among female, male, Hispanic, and white youth (p<.001). Additional subgroup analyses indicated that Florida males were more likely to have had early sex and Black Florida youth were less likely to have used OCPs (p<.001) than their U.S. counterparts. No differences were found between Florida and U.S. Hispanics. This study can inform policy and highlights the need to develop strategies for intervention/service provision among Florida youth so that resources can be allotted to priority populations.

Learning Areas:
Advocacy for health and health education
Protection of the public in relation to communicable diseases including prevention or control
Public health or related research
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Compare sexual risk behaviors between Florida youth and the nation. Identify disparities in sexual behaviors affecting Florida youth.

Keywords: Sexual Risk Behavior, Adolescents

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been a graduate research assistant on multiple grants related to sexual and reproductive health, including the prevention of HPV among minority women and currently an evaluation of an adolescent pregnancy prevention program for rural Florida youth. My interests are in health disparities in adolescent sexual and reproductive health.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.