Citation

Respress BN, Amutah-Onukagha NN, Opara I. Soc. Work Public Health 2018; 33(1): 1-16.

Affiliation

Department of Family Science and Human Development , Montclair State University , Montclair , New Jersey , USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/19371918.2017.1378953

PMID

29199912

Abstract

Social inequalities are at the heart of disparities in sexual health outcomes among African American and Latino/a adolescents living in the United States. Schools are typically the largest and primary context in youth development. School characteristics such as peer and teacher discrimination and school performance were examined to determine whether such characteristics predict sexual behavior in adolescents of color. This study utilized a representative sample of high school age students to assess sexual risk behavior.

FINDINGS indicate that there was a clear disparity in sexually transmitted infection diagnoses. School characteristics such as teacher discrimination and Grade Point Average were significant predictors to sexual risky behaviors among adolescents of color. The study adds to the literature in examining contextual factors that are associated with adolescent sexual risk behavior, and findings provide implications for future prevention work.

Language: en

Keywords

Adolescents; discrimination; schools; sexual risk behaviors; social determinants of health