Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health
Volume 34, Number 3, May/June 2002

 

Friendships and Early Relationships:
Links to Sexual Initiation Among
American Adolescents Born to Young Mothers
TABLES

TABLE 1. Percentage distribution of 11-12-year-old children of female participants in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, by friends' characteristics, according to gender and race, 1990-1994
Characteristic All
(N=1,481)		 Gender Race
Male
(N=733)		 Female
(N=748)		 Black
(N=559)		 Nonblack
(N=922)
Gender†
All/mostly same sex 65.0 65.9 64.2 55.1* 67.7
About equal 29.6 29.1 30.2 37.8* 27.4
All/mostly opposite sex 5.3 5.0 5.6 7.2 4.8
Grade‡
Same 83.5 82.7 84.3 73.7* 86.2
Higher 12.7 12.7 12.7 20.7* 10.5
Lower 3.8 4.6 3.0 5.6 3.3
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
*Significantly different from percentage for nonblacks at p<.05. †Excludes 1% of youth who reported having no close friends. ‡Friends who are not in school (1%) were included with those in a higher grade. Note: Percentages are weighted, and missing data are excluded.

back to text


TABLE 2. Percentage distribution of youth, by relationship characteristics and sexual activity, according to age, gender and race
Characteristic All Gender Race
Male Female Black Nonblack
11-12 13-14 15-16 11-12 13-14 15-16 11-12 13-14 15-16 11-12 13-14 15-16 11-12 13-14 15-16
Dating frequency
Never/almost never 91.6 71.4 46.2 89.1* 68.3* 48.4 94.1 74.6 44.1 91.6 79.2† 58.7† 91.6 69.2 42.9
<once per week 6.3 19.0 26.9 8.5* 19.3 27.5 4.1 16.0 26.3 5.3 11.5† 26.0 6.7 21.0 27.1
>=once per week 2.0 9.6 26.9 2.4 12.4 24.1* 1.8 9.4 29.7 3.1 9.2 15.4† 1.7 9.8 30.0
Going steady‡
Yes 59.6 58.0 42.4 66.9* 55.2 32.9* 49.1 61.7 51.9 52.7 50.4† 54.5† 61.1 59.4 39.9
No 40.4 42.0 57.6 33.1 44.8 67.1 50.9 38.3 48.1 47.3 49.6 45.5 38.9 40.6 60.1
Ever had sex
Yes 2.5 10.1 33.6 4.5* 11.9* 31.7 0.4 8.2 35.6 4.9† 18.4† 44.6† 1.8 7.8 30.6
No 97.5 89.9 66.4 95.5 88.1 68.3 99.6 91.8 64.4 95.1 81.6 55.4 98.2 92.2 69.4
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
*Significantly different from percentage for females of the same age at p<.05. † Significantly different from percentage for nonblacks of the same age at p<.05. ‡Based on adolescents who had ever dated. Notes: Percentages are weighted, and missing data are excluded. Italics signify that age differences within the gender or racial category are significant at p<.05.

back to text


TABLE 3. Percentage distribution of adolescents, by dating patterns at ages 13-14 and 15-16, according to gender balance of friendship groups at age 11-12, gender and race
Dating pattern Mostly same-sex friends Equal/mostly opposite-sex friends
All Male Female Black Non-black All Male Female Black Non-black
Weekly dating (N=831) (N=382) (N=449) (N=274) (N=557) (N=513) (N=249) (N=264) (N=223) (N=290)
At neither age 73.1* 77.7*,† 68.7* 83.8*,‡ 70.8* 62.9 65.0 60.9 72.0‡ 59.8
At age 13-14 only 3.3 3.4 3.2 4.9 2.9 5.4 5.8 5.1 7.5 4.8
At age 15-16 only 20.2 16.3† 23.8 10.2*,‡ 22.3 24.4 20.8 27.6 18.1‡ 26.5
At both ages 3.5* 2.6* 4.3 1.1‡ 4.0* 7.3 8.4 6.4 2.4‡ 8.9
Steady dating (N=781) (N=367) (N=414) (N=257) (N=524) (N=483) (N=241) (N=242) (N=209) (N=274)
At neither age 57.3* 63.6*,† 51.3 62.0 56.4* 50.2 50.0 50.4 57.5‡ 47.8
At age 13-14 only 12.9* 16.5† 9.5* 6.3‡ 14.3* 18.6 20.9 16.5 9.9‡ 21.6
At age 15-16 only 21.3 13.3† 30.3* 26.0 21.1 19.9 17.4 22.3 25.1 18.2
At both ages 7.8* 6.6* 8.9 5.7 8.2 11.3 11.8 10.8 7.5 12.5
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
*Significantly different from percentage for equal or mostly opposite-sex friends at p<.05. †Significantly different from percentage for females at p<.05. ‡Significantly different from percentage for nonblacks at p<.05. Notes: Percentages are weighted, and missing data are excluded. Ns are unweighted.

back to text


TABLE 4. Percentage distribution of adolescents, by dating patterns at ages 13-14 and 15-16, according to grade level of close friends at age 11-12, gender and race
Dating pattern Most friends in lower/same grade Most friends in higher grade
All Male Female Black Non-black All Male Female Black Non-black
Weekly dating (N=1,143) (N=531) (N=601) (N=403) (N=740) (N=193) (N=91) (N=102) (N=96) (N=97)
At neither age 70.4* 73.8*,† 67.2 81.7*,‡ 67.8 60.9 61.8 60.0 64.2 59.2
At age 13-14 only 3.7* 3.5* 3.9 4.5* 3.5 8.5 11.9 5.2 14.7‡ 5.4
At age 15-16 only 21.0 18.0† 23.8 11.8*,‡ 23.1 25.8 21.5 29.9 20.5 28.4
At both ages 4.9 4.7 5.1 2.0*,‡ 5.6 4.9 4.9 4.9 0.6‡ 7.0
Steady dating (N=1,072) (N=513) (N=559) (N=374) (N=698) (N=184) (N=88) (N=96) (N=92) (N=92)
At neither age 55.7 60.0† 51.7 63.0*,‡ 54.1 51.3 53.0 49.6 43.8 55.3
At age 13-14 only 14.8 18.0† 11.7 6.8*,‡ 16.5 16.3 21.2 11.2 13.3 17.8
At age 15-16 only 20.8 13.8† 27.6 24.5 20.0 20.8 18.8 23.0 33.1‡ 14.4
At both ages 8.7 8.3 9.1* 5.8‡ 9.3 11.6 7.1 16.3 9.9 12.6
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
*Significantly different from percentage for most friends in higher grade at p<.05. †Significantly different from percentage for females at p<.05. ‡Significantly different from percentage for nonblacks at p<.05. Notes: Percentages are weighted, and missing data are excluded. Ns are unweighted.

back to text


TABLE 5. Percentage distribution of adolescents, by sexual and dating experience, according to gender and race
Characteristic All Gender Race
Male Female Black Nonblack
Sexually inexperienced at age 15-16 (N=1,053) (N=516) (N=537) (N=364) (N=689)
Never dated 30.0 30.0 29.9 45.0* 26.6
First reported dating at age 15-16 34.7 29.2* 40.6 29.9 35.7
First reported dating earlier 35.4 40.8* 29.6 25.1* 37.6
Had sex between ages 11-12 and 15-16 (N=564) (N=264) (N=300) (N=252) (N=312)
Reported dating prior to first sex 49.7 59.2* 42.2 27.5* 58.0
Reported both at same time 38.2 33.0* 42.3 49.1* 34.1
Reported first sex prior to dating 12.1 7.8* 15.5 23.4* 7.8
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
*Difference in percentages by gender or race is significant at p<.05. Notes: Youth who had had sex prior to baseline are excluded. Percentages are weighted, and missing data are excluded.

back to text


TABLE 6. Odds ratios (and 95% confidence intervals) from logistic regression analyses assessing the risk that adolescents who were sexually inexperienced at ages 13-14 would have sex by ages 15-16, by selected characteristics, according to gender and race
Characteristic All Gender Race
(N=1,185) Male Female Black Nonblack
(N=562) (N=623) (N=420) (N=765)
Social and demographic
Male 0.72 (0.5-1.0)* na na 0.93 (0.6-1.5) 0.59 (0.4-0.9)**
Black 1.17 (0.9-1.6) 1.51 (0.9-2.4) 0.92 (0.6-1.4) na na
Age (mos.) 1.04 (1.0-1.1)** 1.03 (1.0-1.1) 1.05 (1.0-1.1)** 1.02 (1.0-1.1) 1.06 (1.0-1.1)**
Father present in household (ages 11-12) 0.67 (0.5-0.9)** 0.70 (0.5-1.1) 0.61 (0.4-0.9)* 1.06 (0.6-1.8) 0.51 (0.3-0.7)**
Mother's age at first birth 0.87 (0.8-0.9)** 0.87 (0.8-1.0)* 0.86 (0.8-0.9)** 0.84 (0.7-0.9)** 0.89 (0.8-1.0)*
Mother had <12 yrs. of education 1.11 (0.7-1.6) 1.29 (0.7-2.4) 0.97 (0.6-1.6) 0.71 (0.4-1.3) 1.45 (0.9-2.5)
Mother had >=12 yrs. of education 0.91 (0.6-1.3) 1.13 (0.6-2.0) 0.78 (0.5-1.3) 0.81 (0.5-1.4) 0.95 (0.6-1.5)
Friendship pattern (ages 11-12)
Mostly opposite-sex friends 0.88 (0.5-1.7) 1.39 (0.6-3.2) 0.45 (0.2-1.3) 1.22 (0.5-2.9) 0.71 (0.3-1.9)
Male and female friend mix 1.22 (0.9-1.6) 1.16 (0.7-1.8) 1.26 (0.8-1.9) 1.23 (0.8-2.0) 1.17 (0.8-1.7)
Mostly friends in higher grades 1.89 (1.3-2.8)** 1.94 (1.1-3.4)* 1.94 (1.1-3.3)* 1.75 (1.0-3.0)* 2.21 (1.3-3.8)**
Dating pattern (ages 13-14)
Going steady, date weekly 4.21 (2.4-7.4)** 3.65 (1.6-8.4)** 4.57 (2.1-10.2)** 2.39 (0.8-7.4) 5.59 (2.9-11.0)**
Going steady, date monthly 2.71 (1.7-4.4)** 2.90 (1.4-5.8)** 2.37 (1.2-4.7)* 0.94 (0.3-2.8) 3.86 (2.2-6.8)**
Going steady, almost never date 3.08 (1.6-5.9)** 3.04 (1.3-7.0)** 3.79 (1.3-11.2)* 3.52 (1.1-11.2)* 3.26(1.4-7.4)**
Not going steady, dateweekly 2.14 (0.9-5.1) 2.44 (0.9-6.9) 1.48(0.3-8.2) 2.50(0.6-10.9) 1.88 (0.6-5.7)
Not going steady, datemonthly 1.96 (1.2-3.3)* 1.97 (1.0-4.1) 2.05(0.9-4.6) 2.02(0.8-5.1) 2.04 (1.1-3.9)*
Not going steady, almost neverdate 3.81 (2.2-6.7)** 4.34 (2.0-9.3)** 3.21(1.4-7.6)** 4.27(1.4-13.4)* 4.05(2.1-7.9)**
-2 loglikelihood 156.8 78.1 86.7 39.3 134.7
df 18 17 17 17 17
*p<.05. **p<.01, two-tailed. Notes: Cohort variables (whether youth were 11-12 in 1990, 1992 or 1994) were included in equation, but were not found to be significant. Reference categories were female; nonblack; father not present in household; mother had more than 12 years of education; mostly same-sex friends; most friends in same or lower grade; no dating. na=not applicable.

back to text


© copyright 2002, the Alan Guttmacher Institute.