Childhood Behavior Problems Linked to Sexual Risk Taking in Young Adulthood: A Birth Cohort Study

doi:10.1097/chi.0b013e3180f6340e

Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry

Volume 46, Issue 10, October 2007, Pages 1272-1279

https://doi.org/10.1097/chi.0b013e3180f6340e Get rights and content

ABSTRACT

Objective

To study whether behavioral and emotional problems during childhood predicted early sexual debut, risky sex at age 21 years, and sexually transmitted infections up to age 21 years. Some possible mediational pathways were also explored.

Method

Participants were enrolled in the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study (n = 1,037), a prospective, longitudinal study of a New Zealand birth cohort born in 1972-1973. Data obtained at ages 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, and 21 years were used. Adjustment was made for gender, socioeconomic status, parenting factors, and residence changes.

Results

High levels of antisocial behavior between age 5 and 11 years were associated with increased odds of early sexual debut (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 2.17, 95% confidence [CI] 1.34-3.54) and risky sex (AOR 1.88, 95% CI 1.04-3.40). No relationship was observed between hyperactivity and later sexual health outcomes. In contrast, high levels of anxiety were associated with reduced odds of risky sex (AOR 0.45, 95% CI 0.25-0.80) and sexually transmitted infections (AOR 0.34, 95% CI 0.17-0.70). Involvement with delinquent peers explained some of the association between antisocial behavior and early sexual debut and risky sex. A poor relationship with parents also explained some of the association between antisocial behavior and early sexual debut.

Conclusions

The findings demonstrate links between behavioral and emotional problems occurring early in life and later deleterious sexual health outcomes. Targeting antisocial behavior and teaching accurate appraisals of danger during childhood may help mitigate these negative consequences.

Section snippets

Participants

Participants were members of the Dunedin Study, which has investigated the health and behavior of a cohort born during a 1-year period between April 1, 1972 and March 31, 1973 in Dunedin, a city of approximately 120,000 on New Zealand's South Island. The cohort was established at age 3 years when the children were traced for follow-up and 91% (n = 1,037) of the eligible children (i.e., those still resident in the province; n = 1,139) participated in the assessment. The study members were

RESULTS

Descriptive statistics for the childhood behavioral measures are presented in Table 1. The associations between childhood behavior problems and subsequent sexual health outcomes are presented in Table 2. In adjusted analyses, the high antisocial children had approximately two times the odds of having early sexual debut and engaging in risky sex as compared to the low group. Those with low to medium antisocial scores also had approximately two times the odds of engaging in risky sex. There was

DISCUSSION

Our findings show that higher levels of childhood antisocial behavior between ages 5 and 11 years were associated with an increased likelihood of early sexual debut and high-risk sexual behavior by age 21 years. This is consistent with research demonstrating an association in adolescence (e.g., Capaldi et al., 1996, Fergusson and Woodward, 2000) and cross-sectionally in young adulthood within the same cohort (Ramrakha et al., 2000), but suggests that this relationship emerges earlier in the

Limitations

This study has limitations that should be taken into account when interpreting the data. First, the children themselves did not report their own behavior between 5 and 11 years, whereas it is now known that children can be a good source of information, particularly for internalizing problems such as anxiety (Costello et al., 2003). Second, the age 21 measure of risky sexual behavior applied to the previous 12 months only and STIs were self-reported. Third, sexual behavior data were not

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Some reports suggest that hyperactivity is associated with early sexual intercourse [9] and that ADHD symptoms are associated with early sexual intercourse, more sexual partners, more casual sex and more partner pregnancies [13] independently of conduct problems. Other research found an association with early sexual intercourse only when hyperactivity/inattention symptoms occurred in combination with conduct problems [15] or even that an early sexual debut and high-risk sexual behaviour is evident only among those young adults with a history of childhood disruptive behaviour, whereas hyperactivity symptoms are unrelated to RSB [11]. In addition, it has been suggested that the association between ADHD and RSB is mediated by conduct problems in combination with substance use [12].
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Work on this article was supported by grants from theNIMH (MH49414 andMH45070). The authors thank the Health Research Council of New Zealand for its long-term funding of the Dunedin Study. The authors thank Richie Poulton, Director of the Dunedin Study, for valuable comments on earlier drafts of this article. The authors are indebted to Phil Silva, founder of the study, and the study members and their families for their long-term involvement.

Disclosure: The authors have no financial relationships to disclose.

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ARTICLESChildhood Behavior Problems Linked to Sexual Risk Taking in Young Adulthood: A Birth Cohort Study

ABSTRACT

Objective

Method

Results

Conclusions

Section snippets

Participants

RESULTS

DISCUSSION

Limitations

J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry

J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry

Ethol Sociobiol

J Adolesc Health

Behav Res Ther

Behav Res Ther

J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry

The inventory of parents and peer attachment: individual differences and their relationship to psychological well-being in adolescence

J Youth Adolesc

Adult mental health and social outcomes of adolescent girls with depression and conduct disorder

Dev Psychopathol

The moderator-mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: conceptual, strategic and statistical considerations

J Pers Soc Psychol

Predicting the timing of first sexual intercourse for at-risk adolescent males

Child Dev

Heterosexual risk behaviours in at-risk young men from early adolescence to young adulthood: prevalence, prediction and association with STD contraction

Dev Psychopathol

Trends in sexual risk behaviour among high school students-United States, 1991-1997

MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep

Prevalence and development of psychiatric disorders in childhood and adolescence

Arch Gen Psychiatry

The lifetime occurrence of sexually transmitted diseases among a cohort aged 21

N Z Med J

Cross-setting consistency in early adolescent psychopathology: deviant friendships and problem behaviour sequelae

J Pers

Use and development of the Rutter parents' and teachers' scales

Int J Methods Psychiatr Res

Revised socio-economic index for New Zealand

N Z J Educ

Design and Analysis of Clinical Experiments

Educational, psychosocial, and sexual outcomes of girls with conduct problems in early adolescence

J Child Psychol Psychiatry

ARTICLES
Childhood Behavior Problems Linked to Sexual Risk Taking in Young Adulthood: A Birth Cohort Study