Correlates of female adolescent initiation of sexual intercourse, contraceptive use, and pregnancy
Premarital adolescent pregnancy is a major economic, health and societal concern. The majority of welfare funding is provided to mothers who gave birth as adolescents. Adolescent mothers are more likely to experience poverty, health problems, and limited educational and employment opportunities. Man...
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| Format: | Dissertation |
| Language: | English |
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ProQuest Dissertations & Theses
01-01-1995
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| Online Access: | Get full text |
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| Summary: | Premarital adolescent pregnancy is a major economic, health and societal concern. The majority of welfare funding is provided to mothers who gave birth as adolescents. Adolescent mothers are more likely to experience poverty, health problems, and limited educational and employment opportunities. Many earlier studies of adolescent sexual activity and pregnancy have not addressed the complex, interwoven factors involved in adolescent sexuality issues. The purpose of this study was to determine: (a) did school-based sexuality education affect onset of intercourse, contraceptive use, and pregnancy among adolescent females? (b) did educational continuity, defined as the number of times an adolescent has dropped out of school, affect onset of intercourse, contraceptive use, and pregnancy among adolescent females? (c) did self-assessed contraceptive skills and contraceptive knowledge affect contraceptive use and pregnancy among adolescent females? and (d) did demographic factors and family influences affect onset of intercourse, contraceptive use, and pregnancy among adolescent females? The sample for the study was comprised of adolescent respondents aged 15-19 from the National Survey of Family Growth, Cycle IV (N = 1,234). Adolescents were interviewed in their homes concerning variables related to sexual activity, contraceptive use and pregnancy. The model guiding the analysis was based on the PRECEDE model developed by Green and Krueter. Hypotheses based on the review of the literature and the conceptual model were analyzed using Chi-square, t-test, ANOVA, and MANOVA analyses. In addition, the dependent and independent variables were examined using correlation and logistic or multiple regression analyses to determine their relationship to age at onset of intercourse, contraceptive use at both first and last intercourse, and pregnancy. Results indicated that factors positively associated with sexual activity in adolescence include age and having a mother who was a teenage parent. Adolescent pregnancy was correlated with age, low SES, and dropping out of school at the p $<$.01 level. Weak associations were found between pregnancy and Black race and having a mother who was a teenage parent at the p $<$.05 level. Using a multiple regression technique, the model was able to predict 33% of the variance for the age at onset equation. Using logistic regression, the model predicted corrected 82% of the cases for the pregnancy equation. The model correctly predicted 68% of the cases for contraceptive use at both first intercourse, 74% of the cases for contraceptive use at last intercourse. |
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| ISBN: | 9798208785195 |