title: Rural junior high school students' risk factors for and perceptions of teen-age parenthood.
abstract: A sample consisting of 689 junior high school rural adolescents was surveyed about their perceptions of being a teen parent and their current sexual behavior. A risk factor analysis also was conducted to determine factors that significantly predict whether adolescents had engaged in sexual intercourse. Results indicate that one in nine adolescents had engaged in sexual intercourse (11%). The risk factor analyses showed that smoking and efficacy expectations of not engaging in sexual intercourse were significant predictors for both genders. For the most part, adolescents responded positively on four constructs: 1) attitudes toward being a teen parent; 2) efficacy expectations of not engaging in sexual intercourse; 3) benefits of being a teen parent; and 4) and barriers to being a teen parent. However, when analyses were conducted for males and females separately, females scored higher on each factor. Overall, results indicate these teens recognized problems that may occur from being a teen parent.
authors.affiliation: University of North Carolina at Charlotte, NC 28223, USA.
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Price
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: H D
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Schmalzried
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009820:Ohio; D016487:Parenting; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D011253:Pregnancy in Adolescence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012307:Risk Factors; D012423:Rural Health; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires