Growth trajectories of sexual risk behavior in adolescence and young adulthood.
OBJECTIVE
Adolescence and young adulthood (ages 18-25 years) are periods of development and change, which include experimentation with and adoption of new roles and behaviors. We investigated longitudinal trajectories of sexual risk behaviors across these time periods and how these trajectories may be different for varying demographic groups.


METHODS
We developed multilevel growth models of sexual risk behavior for a predominantly African American sample (n=847) that was followed for 8 years, from adolescence to young adulthood. We investigated differences in growth parameters by race/ethnicity and gender and their interactions.


RESULTS
The final model included linear and quadratic terms for both adolescence and young adulthood, indicating acceleration of sexual risk behaviors during adolescence and a peak and deceleration during young adulthood. African American males exhibited the highest rate of sexual risk behavior in ninth grade, yet had the slowest rate of growth. Compared with their White peers, African American males and females exhibited less sexual risk behavior during young adulthood.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that youths of different races/ethnicities and genders exhibit varying sexual risk behavior trajectories.
Fergus
Stevenson
S
School of Kinesiology and Health Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada. ferguss@post.queensu.ca
Zimmerman
Marc A
MA
Caldwell
Cleopatra H
CH
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D044383:Black People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D017280:Condoms / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D016014:Linear Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008824:Michigan; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001741:Black or African American