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The School Contextual Effect of Sexual Debut on Sexual Risk‐Taking: A Joint Parameter Approach
Author(s) -
Cai Tianji,
Zhou Yisu,
Niño Michael D.,
Driver Nichola
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
journal of school health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.851
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 1746-1561
pISSN - 0022-4391
DOI - 10.1111/josh.12604
Subject(s) - respondent , sexual intercourse , psychology , longitudinal study , developmental psychology , psychological intervention , reproductive health , sexual behavior , clinical psychology , medicine , population , environmental health , psychiatry , pathology , political science , law
BACKGROUND Previous research has identified individual and school‐level characteristics that are associated with sexual risk‐taking, but the impact of school‐level mechanisms on sexual risk‐taking is not well understood. We examine the aggregated effects that early sex at the school level have on risky sexual behaviors. METHODS We use 3 waves of data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. An individual's first sexual intercourse before age 15 was recorded along with various risky sexual behaviors at debut. Two variables at respondent's later stage of life were also included: having sex in exchange for drugs or money, and contraction of sexually transmitted disease (STD). Longitudinal analysis was conducted using a joint parameter model that tested unobserved school effects on individual behaviors simultaneously. RESULTS An increase in early sexual initiation at the school level was associated with higher probability of sexual debut, along with increased involvement in sexual risk‐taking controlling for student family background. CONCLUSIONS School behavioral mechanisms are directly related to sexual health behaviors among youth. Our findings have implications for school‐based interventions, education programs, and the role of parents.