Mothers' influence on the timing of first sex among 14- and 15-year-olds.
OBJECTIVE
To better understand maternal influence on the timing of first sex for adolescents.


METHODS
Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess the association between maternal characteristics and the timing of first sex. Matched dyads of mothers and their adolescent children were used.


RESULTS
Of the 2,006 adolescents aged 14 and 15 years who reported to be virgins, 95 males (10.8%) and 162 females (15.8%) indicated they had initiated sex within the follow-up period, 1 year later. For males, few variables beyond the controls used in the models were predictive of timing of first sexual intercourse. For females, mother's satisfaction with her relationship with her daughter (hazard ratio =.62), mother's strong disapproval of her daughter having sex (hazard ratio =.56), and frequency of communication with the parents of her daughter's friends were associated with later sexual debut (hazard ratio =.88).


CONCLUSIONS
Based on the variables in the model, mothers' values and beliefs and relationship satisfaction have more influence on daughters than on sons.
McNeely
Clea
C
Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA. ahp@umn.edu
Shew
Marcia L
ML
Beuhring
Trisha
T
Sieving
Renee
R
Miller
Brent C
BC
Blum
Robert Wm
RW
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D000296:Adolescent Psychiatry; D003142:Communication; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008425:Maternal Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012737:Sex Factors; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013997:Time Factors