Adolescents' transition to first intercourse, religiosity, and attitudes about sex

Ann M. Meier

doi:10.1353/sof.2003.0039

Adolescents' transition to first intercourse, religiosity, and attitudes about sex

Ann M. Meier

Sociology (Twin Cities)

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

184 Scopus citations

Abstract

Using two waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, this study examines two sets of relationships between attitudes, religiosity, and first sex among adolescents. First, I estimate the effects of religiosity and attitudes about sex on the likelihood of engaging in first sex. Then, I estimate the effect of having sex on subsequent religiosity and attitudes. The findings are consistent with past research that finds attitudes are a significant predictor of sexual activity. The effect of religiosity on first sex is mediated by attitudes about sex. Regarding reciprocal effects, having sex for the first time has a significant effect on later attitudes, but not religiosity. This study highlights the importance of going beyond traditional, recursive models that consider only one side of a causal relationship.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	1031-1052
Number of pages	22
Journal	Social Forces
Volume	81
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1353/sof.2003.0039
State	Published - Mar 2003

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This research is based on data from the Add Health project, a program project designed by l. Richard Udry (PI) and Peter Bearman, and funded by grant P01-HD31921 from the National Institute ofChild Health and Human Development to the Carolina Population Center, University 0/North Carolina at Chapel Hill, with cooperative funding participation by the National Cancer Institute; the National Institute ofAlcohol Abuse and Alcoholism; the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders; the National Institute on Drug Abuse; the National Institute ofGeneral Medical Seiences; the National Institute ofMental Health; the National Institute ofNursing Research; the Office ofAIDS Research, NIH; the Office ofBehavior and Social Science Research, NIH; the Office ofthe Director, NIH; the Office ofResearch on Women's Health, NIH; the Office of Population Affairs, DHHS; the National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, DHHS; the Office of Minority Health, Centersfor DiseaseControl and Prevention, DHHS; the Office ofMinority Health, Office ofPublic Health and Seience, DHHS; the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, DHHS; and the National Seienee Foundation. Persons interested in obtaining data files [rom the National Longitudinal Study ofAdolescent Health should contaet Add Health Project, Carolina Population Center, 123 West Franklin Street, Chapel Hili, NC 27516-2524. Direct correspondenee to Ann Meier, Departments ofSociology and Rural Soeiology,8128 Social Scienee Building, 1180 Observatory Drive, Madison, WI 53706-1393.

Funding Information:
'I- I thank Gary Sandefur, Elizabeth Thomson, Larry Bumpass, Charles Halaby, Molly Martin, Kelly Musick; Alberto Palloni, lohn DeLamater, and two anonymous Social Forees reviewers for advice on this article. This work is supported by a traineeship in the Center for Demography and Ecology at the University 0/Wisconsin-Madison. Additional support was provided by a NICHD grant (U01-HD37566) to Gary Sande/ur.

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title = "Adolescents' transition to first intercourse, religiosity, and attitudes about sex",

abstract = "Using two waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, this study examines two sets of relationships between attitudes, religiosity, and first sex among adolescents. First, I estimate the effects of religiosity and attitudes about sex on the likelihood of engaging in first sex. Then, I estimate the effect of having sex on subsequent religiosity and attitudes. The findings are consistent with past research that finds attitudes are a significant predictor of sexual activity. The effect of religiosity on first sex is mediated by attitudes about sex. Regarding reciprocal effects, having sex for the first time has a significant effect on later attitudes, but not religiosity. This study highlights the importance of going beyond traditional, recursive models that consider only one side of a causal relationship.",

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note = "Funding Information: This research is based on data from the Add Health project, a program project designed by l. Richard Udry (PI) and Peter Bearman, and funded by grant P01-HD31921 from the National Institute ofChild Health and Human Development to the Carolina Population Center, University 0/North Carolina at Chapel Hill, with cooperative funding participation by the National Cancer Institute; the National Institute ofAlcohol Abuse and Alcoholism; the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders; the National Institute on Drug Abuse; the National Institute ofGeneral Medical Seiences; the National Institute ofMental Health; the National Institute ofNursing Research; the Office ofAIDS Research, NIH; the Office ofBehavior and Social Science Research, NIH; the Office ofthe Director, NIH; the Office ofResearch on Women's Health, NIH; the Office of Population Affairs, DHHS; the National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, DHHS; the Office of Minority Health, Centersfor DiseaseControl and Prevention, DHHS; the Office ofMinority Health, Office ofPublic Health and Seience, DHHS; the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, DHHS; and the National Seienee Foundation. Persons interested in obtaining data files [rom the National Longitudinal Study ofAdolescent Health should contaet Add Health Project, Carolina Population Center, 123 West Franklin Street, Chapel Hili, NC 27516-2524. Direct correspondenee to Ann Meier, Departments ofSociology and Rural Soeiology,8128 Social Scienee Building, 1180 Observatory Drive, Madison, WI 53706-1393. Funding Information: 'I- I thank Gary Sandefur, Elizabeth Thomson, Larry Bumpass, Charles Halaby, Molly Martin, Kelly Musick; Alberto Palloni, lohn DeLamater, and two anonymous Social Forees reviewers for advice on this article. This work is supported by a traineeship in the Center for Demography and Ecology at the University 0/Wisconsin-Madison. Additional support was provided by a NICHD grant (U01-HD37566) to Gary Sande/ur.",

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PY - 2003/3

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N2 - Using two waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, this study examines two sets of relationships between attitudes, religiosity, and first sex among adolescents. First, I estimate the effects of religiosity and attitudes about sex on the likelihood of engaging in first sex. Then, I estimate the effect of having sex on subsequent religiosity and attitudes. The findings are consistent with past research that finds attitudes are a significant predictor of sexual activity. The effect of religiosity on first sex is mediated by attitudes about sex. Regarding reciprocal effects, having sex for the first time has a significant effect on later attitudes, but not religiosity. This study highlights the importance of going beyond traditional, recursive models that consider only one side of a causal relationship.

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Adolescents' transition to first intercourse, religiosity, and attitudes about sex

Abstract

Bibliographical note

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