Karin L. Brewster

Contextual Effects on the Sexual Behavior of Adolescent Women.

The impact of social context on female adolescents sexual behavior subsequent to first intercourse was investigated through use of data on females 15-19 years of age from Cycle III of the 1982 US National Survey of Family Growth. Logistic regression was selected to estimate models for the two dependent variables--experiencing premarital intercourse and coital frequency--for the 566 Black and 1286 White subjects. Community factors such as social disorganization socioeconomic status religiosity female labor force participation population composition and family planning service availability were found to be significant influences on premarital sexual behavior but more so for Black adolescents. The contextual determinants were most operable in terms of ever having premarital intercourse. Census tract variables that increased the likelihood of premarital coitus among Whites included increased percentages of separated or divorced women greater female labor force participation a higher ratio of unmarried males aged 15 years and older to same aged females and lower percentages of Black and foreign-born; at the county level of analysis a high crime rate and low church attendance were significant. Among non-Whites the premarital coitus risk increased with the tract-level variables of increased female employment lower percentage of unmarried adult women and higher numbers of adolescents not in school and with the county-level factors of a high sex ratio and lower levels of urbanization. Among whites increased coital frequency was increased by the percentage of adolescents in the community who are unemployed or school drop-outs low membership in conservative religious groups a high proportion of males to females and a higher percentage of adolescent family planning clinic attendance the sex ratio and the percentage of out-of-school adolescents. These contextual factors tended to influence sexual behavior directly even when individual-level factors were included in the model.

Childrearing and Fertility

The authors of this book chapter argue that fertility may increase if there is any relaxation or easing of the tension between work responsibilities and child rearing in industrialized countries. This article identifies a variety of factors that are likely to influence the extent to which mother and worker roles are compatible. The review suggests that improved child care arrangements may mediate between work and fertility but may not always result in increased fertility. Costs of child care average in the US about 10% of gross family income for families with children aged under 5 years and 20% for poor single parent families. The emotional costs of relying on an alternative caretaker may be high. Women in the US may be sensitive to the negative attitudes toward working mothers. Comprehensive maternal leave policies and cash benefits do not directly encourage fertility. Both men and women work for a variety of reasons. The article presents empirical evidence largely from the US although there are examples from Germany and France. There are methodological and data availability gaps in childbearing motivation that account for the limited analysis on US fertility-related effects of changes in the social organization of work and child care. It is assumed that there is a motivation to have children and that it varies with changes in the social organization of work and child care. Three types of work-child rearing contexts are distinguished: simultaneous work and child rearing tasks; incompatible work roles and child rearing; and simultaneous market work and other child care arrangements. The coordination of these roles and the impact on fertility are discussed in terms of job characteristics the sequencing of work and family roles costs access to child care attitudes toward working mothers norms on child care and diffusion.

Neighborhood Context and the Transition to Sexual Activity among Young Black Women

Previous studies report that neighborhood characteristics influence pregnancy and childbearing risk among African-American adolescent women. These studies, however, leave unidentified the effects of many neighborhood properties on the proximate determinants of nonmarital fertility. In this study I examine the effects of neighborhood characteristics on the risk of nonmarital first intercourse and on contraceptive use among black female adolescents. The results suggest that neighborhood socioeconomic status, female employment and marital dissolution rates, and peers’ departure from mainstream lifecourse trajectories influence young black women’s sexual and contraceptive behavior. The effects of female employment and socioeconomic status are greater for teens in urban neighborhoods than for teens living elsewhere.

The changing impact of religion on the sexual and contraceptive behavior of adolescent women in the United States

This study examined the relationship between religion and adolescent sexual and contraceptive behaviors in the US. Data were obtained from the 1982 and 1988 Cycles of the National Survey of Family Growth among a sample of women 15-44 years of age. Models examined the determinants of risk of intercourse and contraceptive use only for women who were virgins at the start of the 4-year period preceding each survey. Findings indicate few religious differences in the likelihood of virginity retention among Whites in 1982. By 1988 there were large religious differences in risk of intercourse. White fundamentalists were able to reverse trends and increase the likelihood of retaining virginity. Among fundamentalist Blacks 50% were more likely to remain virgins regardless of time period. Denomination influenced contraceptive choice at first intercourse and the effects differed by race. White Catholics and fundamentalists were less likely to use any method at first intercourse than other religions. Most women who used a method relied on condoms at first intercourse. Fundamentalists were the most likely to use the pill. Black Catholics were more likely to use the pill and Blacks of other religions tended to use the condom. 62% of Whites and 60% of Blacks aged 15-19 years used contraception especially the pill at the most recent intercourse. 60% of White adolescents and only 46% of Blacks used contraception at first intercourse. Denomination or attendance had little effect on current contraceptive behavior among White teens. Findings suggest that the effects of denomination on the risk of intercourse and contraceptive use initially were not maintained after first intercourse.

Women work and children: behavioral and attitudinal change in the United States.

The United States at mid-century had a strong norm that mothers of young children should be full-time homemakers. Since then there has been a strong trend toward higher levels of labor force participation of mothers of preschool-age children. Since the early 1970s this trend in labor force participation has been accompanied by stable fertility rates. In this article using attitudinal data the authors show that there has been a substantial weakening of the norm that mothers of preschool children should stay home with their children. This change in measured attitudes is pervasive and appears to have been led by well-diffused behavioral change. The authors conclude by arguing that this change in attitudes has played an important role in the stabilizing of U.S. fertility levels. (SUMMARY IN FRE AND SPA) (EXCERPT)

Sexual Orientation and Substance Use Among Adolescents and Young Adults

OBJECTIVES We examined interrelationships among the 3 dimensions of sexual orientation-self-identity, sexual attraction, and sexual experience-and their associations with substance use among adolescents and young adults. METHODS To estimate total and net associations of sexual identity, attraction, and experience with use of tobacco, drugs, and alcohol, we applied logistic regression to cross-sectional data from the National Survey of Family Growth Cycle 6. RESULTS We found a lack of concordance among the different dimensions of sexual orientation. More youths reported same-gender sexual attraction and same-gender sexual experiences than identified as lesbian, gay, or bisexual. Estimates of substance use prevalence differed significantly by gender and across dimensions of sexual orientation. Sexual experience was the most consistent predictor of substance use. Women and men with no sexual experience had the lowest odds of all forms of substance use; those reporting sexual experience with partners of both genders had the highest odds. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate that sexual identity was less strongly associated with substance use than sexual experience and attraction were, pointing to the need for more nuanced indicators of sexual orientation in public health studies.

Predictors of Stability and Change in Private Safety Nets of Unmarried Mothers

ABSTRACT Although the importance of social supports for single mothers in times of crisis is widely recognized, little is known about the stability of such “private safety nets” over time, as children age and maternal and household characteristics change. This study uses multilevel models and four waves of data from the Fragile Families and Child Well-Being Study to describe trajectories of social support perceptions for 3,065 unmarried mothers. Results suggest that following a birth, most unmarried mothers perceived the availability of support, but these support perceptions disintegrated somewhat in subsequent years. Mothers who appeared to have the greatest need for support—those without stable employment or a stable partner—experienced more rapid deterioration of their perceived safety nets than did more advantaged mothers. Future research should examine network composition and conditions for support provision among the most vulnerable single mothers and should consider how safety-net stability influences maternal and child health and well-being.

Binge Drinking in Young Adulthood: The Influence of Age at First Intercourse and Rate of Sex Partner Accumulation

There has been growing attention to the influence of youths’ sexual experiences on alcohol use and other health-risk behaviors. Yet, because of the cross-sectional nature of many studies, as well as the likelihood of alcohol use and sexual behaviors to co-occur, the question of whether initiation of sexual activity tends to precede engagement in other behaviors, like binge drinking, remains largely unanswered. Using data from 4726 respondents who participated in Waves I through IV of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), we examined the association between age at first intercourse and frequent binge drinking during one’s mid-twenties and early thirties. We further explored whether this relationship was mediated or moderated by the rate at which individuals accumulated sex partners during the transition to adulthood. Findings showed for women and men, later ages at first intercourse were associated with lower odds of frequent binge drinking in young adulthood. While rate of sex partner accumulation partially mediated this association, it did not moderate it. Furthermore, rate of partner accumulation was positively associated with binge drinking, particularly among women, with a quicker accumulation of sex partners associated with a higher likelihood of engaging in frequent binge drinking. Our findings underscore the importance of considering multiple dimensions of a single behavior and their relation to subsequent health-related behaviors.