Individual and social factors associated with male and female adolescent sexual risk behaviors: The United States and Taiwan

This research examines a conceptual framework which states that educational parameters (academic achievements and educational aspirations), mental health problems (depression, conduct disorder, substance abuse), and social environment (family, peer, and neighborhood) contribute to the sexual risk behaviors of male and female adolescents in the United States and Taiwan. This conceptual framework is guided by the problem-behavior theory (Jessor & Jessor, 1977).;The US sample (N = 593) was comprised of adolescent service (child welfare, juvenile justice, and education) users aged 13 to 18 from the National Institute of Mental Health sponsored project titled Mental Health Services: Youth Access and Effectiveness. The Taiwanese data were collected using a Chinese Mandarin translation version of the same questionnaire used in the US study. Two hundred and eighty five adolescent service users with the same age range as the US sample participated in the present study.;Multivariate logistic regressions were used to test hypotheses, to answer research questions, and to examine similarities and/or differences across cultural and gender groups. The youths' gender and nationality were treated as moderating variables, and a series of interactions were entered stepwise in the multivariate models for tests of significance.;The results indicated that the framework was supported more strongly for the Taiwanese sample than for the US sample. Conduct disorder was a significant factor associated with sexual risk behaviors of youths across cultural and gender groups. Cross-cultural comparisons indicated that US youths were more likely to engage in sexual risk behaviors than Taiwanese youths. In contrast, age and family life stress were stronger factors associated with sexual risk behaviors of Taiwanese youths. Gender comparisons demonstrated that US males were more likely to engage in sexual risk behaviors than their female counterparts; while substance abuse or dependence symptoms had a stronger effect on US females than on males. No gender differences were found among Taiwanese youths.;The dissertation research concluded with a discussion on limitations of the research, and implications for social work program development and research.