A youth development approach to profiling sexual abstinence.
OBJECTIVE
To use youth and parent demographic factors, youth assets (strengths), and community constructs to develop age-group-specific profiles for youth who abstain from sexual activity.


METHODS
Data were collected using in-person interviews of youth (N = 1253) residing in randomly selected, inner-city neighborhood households. Data were analyzed to create classification trees.


RESULTS
Results indicated that assets typically were the most important factors related to abstinence and that the profiles differed for each age group.


CONCLUSIONS
When sexual abstinence is considered, the influence of youth and parent demographics, youth assets, and community factors appears to vary across adolescent developmental age periods.
Department of Health Promotion Sciences, College of Public Health, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73190, USA. Roy-Oman@ouhsc.edu
Roy F
RF
Oman
Sara K
SK
Vesely
Michelle
M
Kegler
Kenneth
K
McLeroy
Cheryl B
CB
Aspy
D000124:Achievement; D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012746:Sexual Abstinence; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors