Condom use Trajectories in Adolescence and the Transition to Adulthood: the Role of Mother and Father Support
Pingel, E.S.; Bauermeister, J.é A.; Elkington, K.S.; Fergus, S.; Caldwell, C.H.; Zimmerman, M.A.
Journal of Research on Adolescence the Official Journal of the Society for Research on Adolescence 22(2): 350-366
2012
ISSN/ISBN: 1050-8392 PMID: 22639524 DOI: 10.1111/j.1532-7795.2011.00775.xDocument Number: 537596
Few studies have investigated how mother and father support differ on predicting youths' sexual risk behavior. We therefore examined the influence of parental support on condom use trajectories and its correlates in a predominantly African American sample [(N=627; 53% female; M = 14.86 years (SD=. 64)] from adolescence to young adulthood. We used hierarchical growth curve modeling to examine the relationship between condom use, substance use, psychological distress and parental support prospectively. We found that consistent condom use decreased over time and was associated negatively with psychological distress and substance use. Furthermore, both maternal and paternal support were associated with more condom use over time. We discuss the implications of our findings for HIV prevention programs.