TY - JOUR
T1 - The association between developmental assets and sexual enjoyment among emerging adults
AU - Galinsky, Adena M.
AU - Sonenstein, Freya L.
N1 - Funding Information:
This research uses data from Add Health, a program project directed by Kathleen Mullan Harris and designed by J. Richard Udry, Peter S. Bearman, and Kathleen Mullan Harris at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and funded by grant P01-HD31921 from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development , with cooperative funding from 23 other federal agencies and foundations. Special acknowledgment is due to Ronald R. Rindfuss and Barbara Entwisle for assistance in the original design. Information on how to obtain the Add Health data files is available on the Add Health website ( http://www.cpc.unc.edu/addhealth ). No direct support was received from grant P01-HD31921 for this analysis. The authors are grateful to Anne Riley, Catherine Bradshaw, Margaret Ensminger, and Nan Astone for helpful comments on an earlier draft and have affirmed that they have listed everyone who contributed significantly to the work in these acknowledgements.
PY - 2011/6
Y1 - 2011/6
N2 - Purpose: To examine the associations between three key developmental assets and an aspect of sexual health, sexual enjoyment, which has rarely been studied in young adults, although its importance is stressed in all recent sexual health policy statements. Methods: Using data from wave III (2001-2002) of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, and multiple logistic and ordered logistic regression, we explored the associations between sexual pleasure and autonomy, self-esteem, and empathy among 3,237 respondents aged 18-26 years in heterosexual relationships of ≥3-month duration. We also examined the distribution of sexual pleasure across various socio-demographic groups. Results: Compared with young women, young men reported more regular orgasms and more enjoyment of two kinds of partnered sexual behavior. Sexual enjoyment was not associated with age, race/ethnicity, or socioeconomic status. Among women, autonomy, self-esteem, and empathy co-varied positively with all three sexual enjoyment measures. Among men, all associations were in the same direction, but not all were statistically significant. Conclusion: A substantial gender difference in enjoyment of partnered sexual behavior exists among emerging adults in the United States. This study is the first to use a representative population sample to find a relationship between developmental assets and a positive aspect of sexual health - sexual pleasure.
AB - Purpose: To examine the associations between three key developmental assets and an aspect of sexual health, sexual enjoyment, which has rarely been studied in young adults, although its importance is stressed in all recent sexual health policy statements. Methods: Using data from wave III (2001-2002) of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, and multiple logistic and ordered logistic regression, we explored the associations between sexual pleasure and autonomy, self-esteem, and empathy among 3,237 respondents aged 18-26 years in heterosexual relationships of ≥3-month duration. We also examined the distribution of sexual pleasure across various socio-demographic groups. Results: Compared with young women, young men reported more regular orgasms and more enjoyment of two kinds of partnered sexual behavior. Sexual enjoyment was not associated with age, race/ethnicity, or socioeconomic status. Among women, autonomy, self-esteem, and empathy co-varied positively with all three sexual enjoyment measures. Among men, all associations were in the same direction, but not all were statistically significant. Conclusion: A substantial gender difference in enjoyment of partnered sexual behavior exists among emerging adults in the United States. This study is the first to use a representative population sample to find a relationship between developmental assets and a positive aspect of sexual health - sexual pleasure.
KW - Adolescent
KW - Adult
KW - Empathy
KW - Female
KW - Growth and development
KW - Health surveys
KW - Human development
KW - Humans
KW - Male
KW - Orgasm
KW - Personal autonomy
KW - Pleasure
KW - Self concept
KW - Sexual behavior/psychology
KW - Sexual behavior/statistics and numerical data
KW - United States
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U2 - 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2010.09.008
DO - 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2010.09.008
M3 - Article
C2 - 21575822
AN - SCOPUS:79956155475
SN - 1054-139X
VL - 48
SP - 610
EP - 615
JO - Journal of Adolescent Health
JF - Journal of Adolescent Health
IS - 6
ER -