Parental communication: Determinants of sexual activity in later life
Abstract
Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey on Adolescent Health (Add Health), a nationally representative sample of adolescents (N=20,506), this project examines the relationship between parent-adolescent communication and adolescent sexual activity in later life by incorporating Sexual Script Theory. Utilizing a structural equation modeling (SEM) approach, findings indicate that female adolescents, compared to male counterparts, are more likely to receive communication regarding sex from their parents. Affirming previous literature, mothers are more likely to communicate with their children on the subject of sex. Additionally, parental knowledge regarding sex influences the level of parental-adolescent communication with lower levels of knowledge equating to lower amounts of communication. Higher levels of communication are associated with increased positive beliefs about sexuality in adolescents. Unexpectedly, adolescents with more positive beliefs about sex, compared with those with negative beliefs were found to have fewer sexual partners. This study concludes that adolescents are incorporating parental communication regarding sex into their sexual scripts thus implicating the importance of parental sexual education.
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
Anderson, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Individual & family studies
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