TY - JOUR
T1 - Risk and Protective Factors Associated With Lifetime Sexual Experience Among Rural, Reservation-Based American Indian Youth
AU - Tingey, Lauren
AU - Chambers, Rachel
AU - Rosenstock, Summer
AU - Larzelere, Francene
AU - Goklish, Novalene
AU - Lee, Angelita
AU - Rompalo, Anne
N1 - Funding Information:
Funding This work was supported by the Native American Research Centers for Health (Grant Number U26IHS300286/03).
Funding Information:
The authors respectfully acknowledge the youth, families, community members, and tribal leaders from the participating tribal community for their innovation and leadership in pioneering research strategies. The authors give thanks to the Native American Research Centers for Health for funding this research. The authors declare they have no conflicts of interest.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2018, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.
Copyright:
Copyright 2018 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2018/8/1
Y1 - 2018/8/1
N2 - Early sexual initiation is a catalyst for sexually transmitted infection and unintended pregnancy. American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth initiate sex prior to age 13 more often than other U.S. youth, contributing to current inequalities in sexual health. Identifying what factors were associated with lifetime sexual experience among AI/AN youth can inform the development of primary prevention programming to delay sexual initiation, alleviate the costs of early sexual activity, and improve sexual health outcomes in this population. We analyzed cross-sectional data from 267 AI youth ages 13–19, recruited from a rural, reservation-based community. We used multivariate logistic regression models to estimate associations between independent variables and lifetime sexual experience (vaginal and/or anal sex) across the following categories: sociodemographic, knowledge, attitudes/perceptions, beliefs, intentions, skills, behaviors, and theoretical constructs. The sample was 56.2% female, mean age 15.1 years (SD = 1.7), and 22.5% were sexually experienced. In our final model, condom use self-efficacy (attitude/perception factor) and intentions to remain abstinent until marriage (intention factor) were associated with lower odds of lifetime sexual experience. Age (sociodemographic factor), intention to have sex (intention factor), use of any contraception (behavior factor), and higher response efficacy (theoretical construct) were associated with lifetime sexual experience. Of these, intention to have sex was the strongest indicator. These results both corroborate and contrast with other research conducted among rural, reservation-based AI/AN youth. Our findings show programs targeting intentions may have the greatest impact among reservation-based AI youth, and justify program delivery stratified by age group in this setting.
AB - Early sexual initiation is a catalyst for sexually transmitted infection and unintended pregnancy. American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth initiate sex prior to age 13 more often than other U.S. youth, contributing to current inequalities in sexual health. Identifying what factors were associated with lifetime sexual experience among AI/AN youth can inform the development of primary prevention programming to delay sexual initiation, alleviate the costs of early sexual activity, and improve sexual health outcomes in this population. We analyzed cross-sectional data from 267 AI youth ages 13–19, recruited from a rural, reservation-based community. We used multivariate logistic regression models to estimate associations between independent variables and lifetime sexual experience (vaginal and/or anal sex) across the following categories: sociodemographic, knowledge, attitudes/perceptions, beliefs, intentions, skills, behaviors, and theoretical constructs. The sample was 56.2% female, mean age 15.1 years (SD = 1.7), and 22.5% were sexually experienced. In our final model, condom use self-efficacy (attitude/perception factor) and intentions to remain abstinent until marriage (intention factor) were associated with lower odds of lifetime sexual experience. Age (sociodemographic factor), intention to have sex (intention factor), use of any contraception (behavior factor), and higher response efficacy (theoretical construct) were associated with lifetime sexual experience. Of these, intention to have sex was the strongest indicator. These results both corroborate and contrast with other research conducted among rural, reservation-based AI/AN youth. Our findings show programs targeting intentions may have the greatest impact among reservation-based AI youth, and justify program delivery stratified by age group in this setting.
KW - American Indian/Alaska Native
KW - Pregnancy
KW - Sexual experience
KW - Sexually transmitted infection
KW - Youth
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U2 - 10.1007/s10935-018-0517-8
DO - 10.1007/s10935-018-0517-8
M3 - Article
C2 - 30046947
AN - SCOPUS:85051071735
SN - 0278-095X
VL - 39
SP - 401
EP - 420
JO - Journal of Primary Prevention
JF - Journal of Primary Prevention
IS - 4
ER -