Citation
Kawashima, Yurino (2018). The analysis of gender effects in the co-development of sexual and non-sexual risk-taking behaviors using Add Health: Longitudinal SEM approach.
2018 Add Health Users Conference. Bethesda, MD.
Abstract
Sexual risk-taking and non-sexual risk-taking, such as alcohol use, are public health issues. Although individuals often engage in both behaviors from adolescence to adulthood, these behaviors are often studied separately. Alternatively, one risk-taking behavior is used and tested as a predictor (or control variable) for another risk-taking behavior, with other theoretical predictors. However, such methods cannot show how these two behaviors co-develop, in terms of how their relationships with each other and with other theoretical variables dynamically (or reciprocally) change over time. In this study, I model the co-development of sexual and non-sexual risk-taking behaviors by taking a longitudinal SEM approach and by using the first four waves of Add Health dataset which cover adolescence to adulthood (ages from 15 to 30 approximately). I elaborate criminological and other theories and extend them to test these two risk-taking behaviors in this methodological framework. In addition, I examine the effects of gender by using multiple-group modeling. My three major research questions included, how do the two risk behaviors influence each other over time?, how protective and risk factors influence these two behaviors over time (is a factor protective or risky consistently)?, and are there any gender differences in the processes? The preliminary results using the multiple-group modeling showed that, among both males and females, sexual risk-taking and alcohol use influenced each other only in late adolescence. There was no theoretical risky or protective factor which consistently affected sexual risk-taking or alcohol use over time. While there were no gender differences in the pattern of effects of various theoretical factors in late adolescence, there were some in adulthood.
Reference Type
Conference proceeding
Book Title
2018 Add Health Users Conference
Author(s)
Kawashima, Yurino
Year Published
2018
City of Publication
Bethesda, MD
Reference ID
9318
