Adolescents' perceptions of parental communication and perception of contraceptive knowledge: the effects on subsequent contraceptive use

The purpose of this study was to examine the quality of parental communication between parents and adolescents at ages 13 and 14. Variables such as self-esteem, gender of parents, race, contraceptive knowledge, and contraceptive use at ages 19 and 20 were investigated in relation to the quality of parental communication at the earlier age. Participants (n = 642, male = 270, female = 3 72) were 13 -14 year olds in Wave II of the national longitudinal study Adolescent Health (Add Health) and 19-20 years old in .Wave III. Results of this study indicate adolescents' knowledge of contraceptives at age 19-20 was not associated with quality of parental communication at ages 13-14. However, high quality of parental communication at ages 13 -14 was predictive of effective contraceptive use at ages 19-20. Self-esteem at ages 13 ~ 4 was not a significant predictor of effective contraceptive use at ages 19-20. There were significant differences in quality of parental communication when racial groups were examined separately. White and Asian adolescents reported significantly higher quality of parental communication when compared to AfricanAmerican adolescents. In addition, there were significant differences between the reported qualities of mother communication compared to father communication; adolescents reported a significantly higher quality of communication for mot~lers than for fathers. Recommendations for future researchers are to study the specific differences in communication in an attempt to identify the unique characteristics that adolescents view as positive communication. This study has implications for how practitioners educate parents about communication skills and their influence on adolescent behaviors.