Developmental relations and patterns of change between alcohol use and number of sexual partners from adolescence through adulthood.

Abstract

This study explored two unanswered questions regarding the role of alcohol use in sexual behavior. The first concerns whether alcohol use temporally precedes and predicts changes in sexual behavior assessed as the number of sexual partners, whether the reverse pattern holds, or whether the association reflects a common, external cause. Second, this study assessed whether associations between these behaviors change as adolescents transition to adulthood. These questions were addressed using a bivariate dual change latent difference score model. Drinking frequency and number of yearly sex partners were assessed eight times across a 13-year period in a sample of 553 individuals, beginning in the 9 th grade (age: M = 15.11, SD = 0.43). In addition to an association between the individual growth trajectories of these behaviors, alcohol use was a leading indicator of changes in number of sex partners throughout adolescence, but the reverse pattern was not supported. Importantly, the predictive association could not be explained by individual differences in impulsivity, excitement seeking, conduct problems, hostility/aggression, conventional attitudes, gender, or divorce. Finally, in a developmentally meaningful pattern, alcohol use ceased to significantly predict changes in the number of sexual partners as adolescents transitioned to adulthood. KeywordsAlcohol use; sexual behavior; developmental change; common causes; longitudinal study Correspondence regarding this manuscript should be addressed to Dr. Shannon J. Dogan, University of California Cooperative Extension -Placer County, 11477 E Avenue, Auburn, California 95603. Phone: (530) Fax: (530) Publisher's Disclaimer:The following manuscript is the final accepted manuscript. It has not been subjected to the final copyediting, fact-checking, and proofreading required for formal publication. It is not the definitive, publisher-authenticated version. The American Psychological Association and its Council of Editors disclaim any responsibility or liabilities for errors or omissions of this manuscript version, any version derived from this manuscript by NIH, or other third parties. The published version is available at www.apa.org/pubs/journals/dev NIH Public Access Alcohol use and sexual behavior are consistently reported to co-occur in both adolescent (Duncan, Strycker, & Duncan, 1999;Tubman, Windle, & Windle, 1996) and adult samples (Capaldi, Stoolmiller, Clark, & Owen, 2002;Cooper, 2002;Zuckerman & Kuhlman, 2000). Furthermore, alcohol use is found to predict the onset (Blinn-Pike, Berger, Hewett, & Oleson, 2004;Capaldi, Crosby, & Stoolmiller, 1996;Guo et al., 2005) and occurrence of sexual intercourse in adolescents (Whitbeck, Yoder, Hoyt, & Conger, 1999), as well as multiple recent sex partners in both adolescent (e.g., Tapert, Aarons, Sedlar, & Brown, 2001;Tubman et al., 1996) and adult samples (Graves, 1995). Additionally, a predictive relation has been found across these different developmental periods. For example, Wells, Horwood, and Fergusson (200...

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“…21 Fourth, these relationship factors are nested within the developmental context where the norm is for a maturational process where heterosexual individuals switch from condom use to other means of birth control or the desire to have children. 22,23 If adolescents are indeed experiencing rapid sexual partner turnover and ceasing condom use with their partners because they are quick to define their relationships as serious, then HIV and other STIs have the opportunity to be transmitted more efficiently across these multiple partnerships.…”

Comportamiento sexual bajo la influencia del alcohol en adolescentes españoles

“…Our result could be explained by the short period of time the participants were sexually active. Other studies found a greater number of sexual partners in consumers of alcohol and other drugs (Bellis et al, 2008;Cooper, 2002;Dogan et al, 2010), although many of them used samples of young adults.…”

“…In a review, Cooper (2002) concluded that alcohol may affect the decision to engage in risky sex. Also, alcohol has been shown to be related to sexual risk indicators like early sexual onset (Bellis et al, 2008;Lomba et al, 2009) and the number of sexual partners (Cooper, 2002;Dogan, Stockdale, Widaman, & Conger, 2010;Lomba et al, 2009;Seth et al, 2011). According to these studies, youth who consume alcohol tend to report an earlier sexual onset and greater number of sexual partners compared to those do not.…”

“…Other "third variables" may mediate the relationship between alcohol use and sexual behaviour such as sexual sensation seeking and a lifestyle based on risk (Zuckerman, 2007). However, longitudinal studies such as Dogan et al (2010) conclude that alcohol use is an indicator of change in sexual behaviour throughout adolescence. This effect remains despite the potential influence of "third variables" such as impulsivity and excitement seeking.…”

Consommation de substances psychoactives et sexualité chez les jeunes : une vision globale de la sphère sexuelle

“…La consommation d'alcool ou d'autres SPA ainsi que la présence d'un problème de consommation sont associées au fait que ces jeunes soient sexuellement actifs. De surcroit, les éléments relatifs à la consommation de SPA sont également associés au fait d'avoir plusieurs partenaires et de faire une utilisation moindre de préservatifs lors de leurs relations sexuelles (Dogan, Stockdale, Widaman et Conger, 2010 ;Pica et al, 2012 ;Poulin et Graham, 2001). …”