title: Longitudinal associations from neurobehavioral disinhibition to adolescent risky sexual behavior in boys: direct and mediated effects through moderate alcohol consumption.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This longitudinal study tested the hypothesis that neurobehavioral disinhibition (ND) in childhood, mediated by alcohol use, portends risky sexual behavior (number of sexual partners) in midadolescence.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were 410 adolescent boys. Neurobehavioral disinhibition was assessed at 11.3 years of age. Frequency and quantity of alcohol use on a typical drinking occasion were assessed at 13.4 years of age at first follow-up, and sexual behavior at 16.0 years at second follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Quantity of alcohol consumed on a typical drinking occasion, but not frequency of alcohol use, mediated the relation between ND and number of sexual partners.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings indicate that number of sexual partners in midadolescence is predicted by individual differences in boys' psychological self-regulation during childhood and moderate alcohol consumption in early adolescence, and that ND may be a potential target for multi-outcome public health interventions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado. Electronic address: nathaniel.riggs@colostate.edu.
authors.forename: Nathaniel R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Riggs
authors.forename: Eleanor B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Tate
authors.forename: Ty A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Ridenour
authors.forename: Maureen D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Reynolds
authors.forename: Zu W
authors.initials: ZW
authors.lastname: Zhai
authors.forename: Michael M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Vanyukov
authors.forename: Ralph E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Tarter
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011594:Psychometrics; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D012747:Sexual Partners; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Alcohol use; Boys; Neurobehavioral disinhibition; Sexual risk taking