Sexual Behavior Among Puerto Rican Adolescents from Stratified Community and Mental Health Samples.

Sexual Behavior Among Puerto Rican Adolescents from Stratified Community and Mental Health Samples, Jose R. Pando, Glorissa Canino, and Rafael Ramirez, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine

In 2002, Puerto Rico showed the highest adolescent pregnancy rate (19.2%) within the United States. Previous studies also reported early initiation in adolescent sexual relations (ASR). This study described ASR patterns from community and mental health samples, presenting data from a stratified sample of Puerto Rican male and female (11-18 years) adolescents, focusing its results on youths engaged in ASR. Uniqueness of this study stems from data from two representative samples of adolescents, one from the general community (N = 994) and another of adolescents receiving mental health services within a specific period (N = 550). Methodology included DISC-IV and non-DISC Sexual Behavior individual interviews for both samples. Logistic regression models and bivariate odd ratios were used for statistical analysis. Results from community and mental health samples showed that the latter had consistently higher rates of ASR and lifetime reports of pregnancy, as well as earlier onset of ASR for females. Neither sample showed a gender difference for the onset of ASR. Results showed that older adolescents of the community sample meeting psychiatric diagnosis criteria and with lower parental attachment were more likely to engage in ASR; whereas in the mental health sample, adolescents with lower parental monitoring and parental involvement reported significantly more ASR. Further analyses revealed that, after adjustment for age and sex, disruptive or depressive disorders were associated with a higher probability of ASR in community sample. Whether mental disorder or lower parental-child relationships preceded or were consequence of ASR could not be determined due to the cross-sectional nature of the sample.