Pathways of influence on fifth and eighth graders' reports about having had sexual intercourse.

Authors: Porter, CP, Oakley, D, Ronis, DL, and Neal, RW

Type: Journal

Publication Date: 1996

Publication Source: Research in Nursing & Health (RES NURS HEALTH), 1996 Jun; 19(3): 193-204 (55 ref)

Synopsis and Comments: OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the multifaceted processes that might influence the early onset of sexual behavior, and to explore their indirect as well as their direct influences on elementary and middle school youth. DESIGN: Convenience sample.

SETTING: Medium-sized industrial city in southeast Michigan.

POPULATION: The sample consisted of 59 fifth graders (10 to 12 years old) and 169 eighth graders (13 to 15 years old) who attended a neighborhood elementary and a middle school. Students in both grades were evenly divided between boys and girls, but race/ethnicity differed by grade.

INTERVENTIONS: Data collection occurred during school hours. Fifth grade children were separated by gender and same-gender data collectors administered the questionnaires. Data collection for eighth graders occurred in their scheduled classrooms, and there was no separation by gender.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): The majority of the scales and items were those used in previous family planning and adolescent sexual behavior studies. They were pilot tested for reading level, language, and comprehension with convenience samples of African American elementary and middle school boys and girls, with signed parental permission.

RESULTS/CONCLUSIONS: Among fifth graders, 46% said they had already had sexual intercourse; and among eighth graders, the figure was 55%. Of the three risk behaviors studied (i.e., early sexual intercourse, frequency of cigarette smoking, and alcohol use), early sexual intercourse was the most common in both grades. Among fifth graders, 6% said they currently smoked one-half pack or more per day and 23% said they used to smoke but didn't any longer; 1% said they drank alcohol every or almost every day. Among eighth graders, 6% said they currently smoked one-half pack or more a day and 14% said they used to smoke; 1% said they drank from 1 to 3 days per week. The findings that the number of intimate behaviors mediates the effect of other variables on the initiation of early sexual intercourse and that personal norms and costs mediate the effects of gender are the major contributions of this study The findings suggest that the negative consequences of sexual intercourse are not as salient for males. Future research needs to be focused on specific ways in which sex-role socialization in particular sociocultural-environmental contexts makes a difference in the progression of intimate behaviors to sexual intercourse. The findings support the importance and potent influence of learning during social-environmental interactions. Clearly, more needs to be understood about how youth experience their sexuality, interpret it, give it meaning, and then act upon it.

Key Terms: Outreach/health promotion/Functional Support/key male values/treatment/ Influence/Behavior/School/Family Planning/Smoking/Alcohol/Males/Sexuality