FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH SEXUAL-BEHAVIOR AMONG ADOLESCENTS - A MULTIVARIATE-ANALYSIS

Multiple factors associated with engaging in sexual intercourse among a sample of adolescents were examined. A self-administered survey was completed by 1,026 high school students in a classroom setting. Discri minant function analyses were performed to discriminate factors most i mportant in predicting the sexual status of the adolescent. Compared t o males who had never engaged in sexual intercourse, sexually active m ales reported more frequent use of alcohol, had higher levels of stres s, were less likely to use seat belts, were more likely to engage in p hysical fights, and were more likely to worry about the spread of AIDS . Sexually active females reported more frequent use of alcohol and ci garettes, and had higher levels of stress than did female adolescents who had never had sexual intercourse. These findings suggest that effe ctive interventions to address teenage pregnancy need to utilize a mul tifaceted approach to the prevention of high-risk behaviors.