Self-esteem, risky sexual behavior, and pregnancy in a New Zealand birth cohort.
This study examined the relationship between self-esteem in adolescence and later risky sexual behavior and pregnancy in late adolescence and early adulthood. The investigation analyzed data from a birth cohort of over 1,000 New Zealand young adults studied to the age of 25. Lower levels of self-esteem at age 15 were associated with greater risks of engaging in unprotected sex (sexual intercourse with either an opposite- or same-sex partner without using a condom), a greater number of sexual partners, and a greater risk of pregnancy at ages 15-25. Adjustment for potentially confounding factors, including family socioeconomic background, family functioning, child abuse, and individual characteristics and behavior, reduced the strength of these associations to statistically non-significant levels. It was concluded that the effects of self-esteem during adolescence on later risky sexual behavior and pregnancy were weak and largely explained by the psychosocial context within which self-esteem develops.
Boden
Joseph M
JM
Christchurch Health and Development Study, Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences, PO Box 4345, Christchurch, New Zealand. joseph.boden@chmeds.ac.nz
Horwood
L John
LJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003268:Contraception Behavior / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011253:Pregnancy in Adolescence / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011606:Psychosexual Development; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012649:Self Concept; D012747:Sexual Partners; D012945:Social Values; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D047568:Unsafe Sex / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*