Adolescent sexual and reproductive behaviors typically occur within a relationship context. Nonetheless, our understanding of early romantic relationships and their impact is extremely limited. Thus our primary objective is to specify the nature and meaning of adolescent heterosexual relationship experiences and to determine how variations in these experiences influence sexual and fertility-related behaviors. Because the empirical literature has emphasized the importance of peer norms and behaviors, we will also assess the relative impact of dating partner and peers on sexual behavior, contraceptive practices as well as involvement in other problem behaviors (e.g., alcohol and drug use) than can contribute independently to sexual risk-taking. A major interest is to specify how the experiences associated with age, gender and race/ethnicity influence the meaning of dating relationships and their connections to sexual outcomes. The investigators propose to conduct in-home interviews with a stratified, random sample of 1,500 adolescents drawn from all seventh, ninth, and eleventh grade youth currently residing in Lucas County, Ohio (the Toledo Adolescent Relationship Study -- TARS). The longitudinal design includes a follow-up one year after the initial interview, and in-depth interviews with a subsample (n=200) of the respondents. A parent or guardian will also complete a short questionnaire at both waves. They plan to conduct analyses using the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health (Add Health) in areas where there is measurement overlap, and to help establish the validity of findings derived from measures unique to TARS. The symbolic interactionist interpretation of exchange offers a useful conceptual framework for this study because of its focus on perceptions of the rewards, costs, and meanings of relationships as socially constructed and variable rather than fixed or self-evident. Thus, we intend to build a portrait of adolescent heterosexual relations by specifying how their rewards, patterns of interaction and vicissitudes compare to those of the more frequently studied same-gender friendships. We will add to this portrait by focusing attention on relational qualities that may be unique to the romantic context (heightened emotionality, concerns over exclusivity) and reflective of the development stage of the actors involved (e.g., feelings of social/ communication awkwardness). We will use this complement of relationship qualities to assess age-graded changes, and to determine how gender and race/ethnicity influence the meaning and salience of these early relations. The longitudinal design of the proposed study will allow us to determine the degree to which specific relationship qualities and partner characteristics (and combinations of these) influence timing of intercourse, contraceptive practices, and sexual risk-taking. Because we also measure peer norms and behaviors, we will be able to determine the contraceptive practices, and sexual risk-taking. Because we also measure peer norms and behaviors, we will be able to determine the degree of partner influence on sexual and fertility-related behaviors net of the well-documented role of peers.
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