Patricia Dittus

Parent-Teen Communication about Premarital Sex Factors Associated With the Extent of Communication

Twenty-one parental and 16 adolescent topic-specific reservations that parents and adolescents may have about discussing sex and birth control were explored in a sample of 751 African American inner-city youths (14 to 17 years old) and their mothers. Both maternal and adolescent perspectives were obtained with regard to the prevalence of specific reservations and the extent to which they were predictive of communication behavior. Topic-specific reservations were predictive of communication behavior over and above more general family environment variables, such as the quality of the parentteen relationship and the overall quality of communication in general. A number of interaction effects were found, suggesting a differential impact of reservations as a function of the age and gender of the adolescent. The types of reservations expressed by parents were not correspondent with the types of reservations expressed by adolescents.

The Impact of African American Fathers on Adolescent Sexual Behavior

A common finding in past research on adolescent sexual behavior is that initiation of sexual intercourse is more frequent in households where the teen does not live with both biological parents. The present study examined this result in greater depth by examining the impact that father attitudes toward premarital sexual intercourse have on the sexual behavior of the fathers adolescent. Approximately 750 inner-city African American youth between the ages of 14 and 17 were interviewed in a survey on parent–teen communication. Results showed that adolescent perceptions of paternal attitudes were predictive of teen sexual behavior independent of adolescent perceptions of maternal attitudes and that the effects of live-in status on sexual behavior were mediated by adolescent perceptions of paternal attitudes. This result was robust across gender and age of the adolescent.

Parent-teen communication: toward the prevention of unintended pregnancies.

Parent-teen communication has been underestimated in its impact on preventing unintended pregnancies. The goal of this monograph is to identify the methodological and conceptual weaknesses in past research and to apply these consideration in the analysis of data. The emphasis is on parent-teen communication about premarital sex and premarital pregnancy and the development of parent education programs. The focus is on what parents say and do to motivate their children to avoid premarital pregnancy. The scope of the problem of teenage pregnancy is viewed as well as the literature on parent-teen communication about birth control and premarital sexual intercourse. A sample of 210 couples from Albany New York with a child between the ages of 12 and 16 years living with them was studied. Most were white middle-class suburban households. Parental questionnaires assessed the reservations parents had in talking about not having premarital sex opinions about teenage birth control and abstinence and an expansive inventory of opinions reasoning evaluation self-description teenagers description background parenting practices communication techniques locus of control family environment and family relationships. Teen questionnaires evaluated their parents ability to communicate and deal with their teens education about sexual issues their sexual behavior and use of contraceptives. Conclusions in the correlation analysis for instance were that parent education programs are important in promoting responsible sexual behavior in helping parents communicate and find an appropriate time to have a discussion and in teaching parental social skills effective reasoning and guides in discussing permissible sex. Prior research has been biased toward teenagers views has used crude measures and has not considered specific strategies or content in reasoning with teenagers or parental sexual views or context.

Parent-adolescent communication about premarital pregnancy.

The literature on parent–adolescent communication about premarital sex and pregnancy is reviewed. Current theoretical frameworks and research methodologies are evaluated, and issues that need to be addressed are discussed. Such issues include the need to develop better measures and theories of the communication process between parents and teenagers and the need to study the problem from the perspective of parents as well as teens.

Recalling Sexual Partners: The Accuracy of Self-Reports

Accuracy of recall of the number of sexual partners individuals had over a period of one month, three months, six months and one year was studied in a group of 285 young, single, heterosexual adults. Self-reports of the number of partners were obtained on a weekly basis and then compared with recall of behavior over longer time periods that overlapped the weekly measures. For individuals who claimed abstinence or who claimed to be monogamous, accuracy of recall was relatively high, especially at the shorter time frames. Level of education was related to accuracy for claimed abstainers, such that lower levels of education were associated with lower accuracy of recall. Accuracy rates for individuals who reported having multiple sexual partners tended to be lower and were found to be related to one’s propensity to engage in casual sex.

Paternal Influences on Adolescent Sexual Risk Behaviors: A Structured Literature Review

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To date, most parent-based research has neglected the role of fathers in shaping adolescent sexual behavior and has focused on mothers. The objective of this study was to conduct a structured review to assess the role of paternal influence on adolescent sexual behavior and to assess the methodological quality of the paternal influence literature related to adolescent sexual behavior. METHODS: We searched electronic databases: PubMed, PsychINFO, Social Services Abstracts, Family Studies Abstracts, Sociological Abstracts, and the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature. Studies published between 1980 and 2011 that targeted adolescents 11 to 18 years and focused on paternal parenting processes were included. Methodological quality was assessed by using an 11-item scoring system. RESULTS: Thirteen articles were identified and reviewed. Findings suggest paternal factors are independently associated with adolescent sexual behavior relative to maternal factors. The most commonly studied paternal influence was emotional qualities of the father-adolescent relationship. Paternal communication about sex was most consistently associated with adolescent sexual behavior, whereas paternal attitudes about sex was least associated. Methodological limitations include a tendency to rely on cross-sectional design, nonprobability sampling methods, and focus on sexual debut versus broader sexual behavior. CONCLUSIONS: Existing research preliminarily suggests fathers influence the sexual behavior of their adolescent children; however, more rigorous research examining diverse facets of paternal influence on adolescent sexual behavior is needed. We provide recommendations for primary care providers and public health practitioners to better incorporate fathers into interventions designed to reduce adolescent sexual risk behavior.

Parental Monitoring and Its Associations With Adolescent Sexual Risk Behavior: A Meta-analysis

CONTEXT: Increasingly, health care providers are using approaches targeting parents in an effort to improve adolescent sexual and reproductive health. Research is needed to elucidate areas in which providers can target adolescents and parents effectively. Parental monitoring offers one such opportunity, given consistent protective associations with adolescent sexual risk behavior. However, less is known about which components of monitoring are most effective and most suitable for provider-initiated family-based interventions. OBJECTIVE: We performed a meta-analysis to assess the magnitude of association between parental monitoring and adolescent sexual intercourse, condom use, and contraceptive use. DATA SOURCES: We conducted searches of Medline, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, PsycInfo, Cochrane, the Education Resources Information Center, Social Services Abstracts, Sociological Abstracts, Proquest, and Google Scholar. STUDY SELECTION: We selected studies published from 1984 to 2014 that were written in English, included adolescents, and examined relationships between parental monitoring and sexual behavior. DATA EXTRACTION: We extracted effect size data to calculate pooled odds ratios (ORs) by using a mixed-effects model. RESULTS: Higher overall monitoring (pooled OR, 0.74; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.69–0.80), monitoring knowledge (pooled OR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.73–0.90), and rule enforcement (pooled OR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.59–0.75) were associated with delayed sexual intercourse. Higher overall monitoring (pooled OR, 1.12; 95% CI, 1.01–1.24) and monitoring knowledge (pooled OR, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.01–1.31) were associated with greater condom use. Finally, higher overall monitoring was associated with increased contraceptive use (pooled OR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.09–1.86), as was monitoring knowledge (pooled OR, 2.27; 95% CI, 1.42–3.63). LIMITATIONS: Effect sizes were not uniform across studies, and most studies were cross-sectional. CONCLUSIONS: Provider-initiated family-based interventions focused on parental monitoring represent a novel mechanism for enhancing adolescent sexual and reproductive health.

Mother-Adolescent Communication About Tobacco Use in Urban Puerto Rican and Dominican Families

Research on parent-adolescent communication about cigarette smoking in Latino families remains relatively scarce. This dearth of information is worrisome given the high rates of tobacco use among Latino adolescents and the large burden borne by adult Latinos in smoking-related morbidity and mortality. This study presents qualitative data on parent-adolescent communication about cigarette smoking in a sample of urban Latino families. The authors conducted 12 focus groups with 40 Puerto Rican and Dominican mother-adolescent dyads (N = 80) residing in the Bronx community of New York. The findings indicate that the mothers were comfortable discussing smoking-related issues with their children. Adolescents expressed a desire to discuss tobacco-related issues with their mothers, although some feared parental punishment. The results highlight a gap in parental knowledge and efficacy regarding social influences to smoke. Results are discussed in the context of developing focused interventions aimed at reducing cigarette smoking among Latino youth.

CDC Grand Rounds: Adolescence - Preparing for Lifelong Health and Wellness

Approximately 42 million adolescents aged 10-19 years, representing 13% of the population, resided in the United States in 2014 (1). Adolescence is characterized by rapid and profound physical, intellectual, emotional, and psychological changes (2), as well as development of healthy or risky behaviors that can last a lifetime. Parents have strong influence on their adolescent childrens lives, and family-based programs can help parents support healthy adolescent development. Because schools are natural learning environments, implementing and improving school-based policies and programs are strategic ways to reinforce healthy behaviors and educate adolescents about reducing risky behaviors. Health care during adolescence should be tailored to meet the changing developmental needs of the adolescent while providing welcoming, safe, and confidential care. Parents, educators, care providers, public health officials, and communities should collaborate in fostering healthy environments for all adolescents, now and into the future.

Changes in the Distribution of Sex Partners in the United States: 2002 to 2011–2013

Objective The purpose of the current analysis is to examine subgroup differences in the distribution of opposite-sex sex partners in the United States across an approximate 10-year period to identify patterns that may inform sexually transmitted infection research and prevention. Methods Data were drawn from the 2002 and 2011–2013 National Survey of Family Growth, a US probability-based household survey focusing on sexual and reproductive health. The measures included in this analysis were lifetime opposite-sex sex partners and opposite-sex sex partners in the past year. Analyses were conducted separately for men and women. All analyses were conducted in R and R-studio with the “survey” package, focusing on medians, the 80th, and 95th quartile. Results In 2002, there were significant differences between men and women in median number of lifetime sex partners with men reporting more lifetime partners. However, in the 2011–2013 data, these differences are no longer significant. Still, the findings suggest that the top 20% and top 5% of men are reporting significantly more lifetime partners than their female counterparts. In comparison, partners in the past year remain relatively unchanged for both men and women. Conclusions These findings suggest that there were important changes in the distribution of sex partners between 2002 and 2011–2013 that have implications for sexually transmitted infection prevention. Median lifetime partners are no longer different for women and men: however, the distribution of lifetime partners among men is becoming even more skewed.