SUBSTANCE USE AND RISKY SEXUAL-BEHAVIOR IN FEMALE ADOLESCENTS

The purpose of this study was to elucidate the etiological pathways to wards substance use and risky sexual behavior in female adolescent sub stance abusers. The study had three aims: (1) to determine the relatio ns between behavioral dysregulation, negative affectivity, and childho od victimization with substance use and risky sexual behavior, (2) to determine whether these relations are mediated by internalizing sympto matology, antisocial behavior, and affiliating with an adult boyfriend ; and (3) to determine whether age of menarche moderates the relation between the mediating variables and substance use and risky sexual beh avior. Multiple behavioral, psychiatric interview. and self-report mea sures were used to index behavioral dysregulation, negative affectivit y, childhood victimization, internalizing symptomatology, antisocial b ehavior, affiliation with adult boyfriends, substance use, and risky s exual behavior in 125 substance abusing female adolescents and 78 cont rols between the ages of 14-18 years. Structural equation modeling was used to determine the etiological pathways. Results indicated that be havioral dysregulation, negative affectivity, and childhood victimizat ion were related to substance use and risky sexual behavior. Age of me narche was significantly correlated with affiliation with an older boy friend and risky sexual behavior. Antisocial behavior mediated the ass ociations between behavioral dysregulation, negative affectivity and c hildhood victimization with substance use and risky sexual behavior. A ffiliation with an adult boyfriend was directly associated with substa nce use involvement and accounted for the relationship between chronol ogical age and risky sexual behavior. Finally, late menarche enhanced the association between internalizing symptomatology and substance use involvement. The results highlight the importance of behavioral dysre gulation, negative affectivity, and childhood victimization in predict ing substance use and risky sexual behavior, as well as the finding th at antisocial behavior and affiliation with an adult boyfriend may be etiologically important in predicting these outcomes. Therefore, from a prevention and treatment standpoint, behavioral and affective dysreg ulation, childhood victimization as well as antisocial behavior may se rve as clinical 'gateways' for altering the developmental trajectory t oward substance use and risky sexual behavior in high risk and substan ce abusing youth. For example, reducing dysregulation through behavior modification procedures that have been developed for conduct disorder ed children would appear to be a heuristic avenue of investigation ema nating from the results obtained in this study. (C) 1997 Elsevier Scie nce Ireland Ltd.