title: Analysis of contraceptive behavior of sexually active female adolescents in the United States.
abstract: Drawing on a theoretical model of adolescent contraceptive behavior, we examined the relationships between various social and behavioral variables and contraceptive use by sexually active female adolescents. Hypotheses were tested with the use of a national random sample of sexually active female adolescents (n = 1426), aged 15 to 20 years, from Cycle III of the National Survey of Family Growth. The data were analyzed with Pearson correlation coefficients and multiple regression analysis. Noncompliance with the initial birth control method was the strongest predictor of the adolescents' contraceptive behavior at the time of the interview. Not acquiring birth control at the initial family planning visit and the frequency of family planning visits during the previous 12 months were the second and third best predictors of subjects' contraceptive use. Coital frequency and the length of time between first coitus and the initiation of birth control each explained a small amount of additional variation in the regression model. When combined, these five variables explained 40% of the variation in the contraceptive behavior of this representative sample of sexually active female adolescents. The findings could be useful for clinicians in providing more effective birth control counseling to adolescent patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta 30912-2500.
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: DuRant
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Sanders
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jay
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Levinson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D003075:Coitus; D003268:Contraception Behavior; D005193:Family Planning Services; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008960:Models, Psychological; D010349:Patient Compliance; D012309:Risk-Taking; D014481:United States