Work and Sexual Trajectories Among African American Youth |
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| Authors: | José A Bauermeister Marc A Zimmerman Gilbert C Gee Cleopatra Caldwell Yange Xue |
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| Institution: | 1. HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies , Columbia University;2. New York State Psychiatric Institute jb2855@columbia.edu;4. Department of Health Behavior and Health Education , School of Public Health, University of Michigan;5. Department of Community Health Sciences , School of Public Health, University of California , Los Angeles |
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| Abstract: | The beneficial or deleterious effects of employment on youth and well-being have been highly contested. This study explores whether work influences youths' sexual risk correlates in a sample of African Americans (N = 562; 55% females; M = 14.5 years, SD = 0.6 years) followed longitudinally from adolescence to early adulthood. The study used growth curve modeling to test the association between number of hours worked and condom use, sex partners' age differences, and number of partners over time. Working a greater number of hours was associated with less condom use, with the effect varying by youths' grade point average. Working a greater number of hours was associated with older sex partners among female youth. No association was found between work and number of partners. The findings suggest that working during adolescence and early adulthood increased participants' sexual activity, thus lending some support for the work consequences perspective. The implications for future research and youth development programs are discussed. |
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