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Neighborhood context and racial differences in early adolescent sexual activity

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Demography

Abstract

Evidence suggests that African American youths initiate sexual activity at earlier ages than do European American or Latino youths. Using data from a multilevel study in Chicago, we developed and tested a neighborhood-based model of the timing of first adolescent intercourse that emphasizes the impact of neighborhood structural disadvantage and collective efficacy on early sexual activity (at ages 11 to 16). In turn, we explored the extent to which neighborhood factors account for racial differences in the timing of first intercourse. The findings indicate that demographic background, family processes, peer influences, and developmental risk factors account for about 30% of the baseline increased likelihood of early sexual onset for African American youths compared with European American youths. However, a significant residual racial difference remained even after we considered a host of micro-level factors. Neighborhood-level concentrated poverty largely explained this residual racial difference. Collective efficacy also independently contributed to the delay of sexual onset. No significant baseline difference in age of sexual initiation was found between Latino and European American youths.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociology, The Ohio State University, 300 Bricker Hall, 190 North Oval Mall, 43210, Columbus, OH

    Christopher R. Browning

  2. Institute for Policy Studies, Johns Hopkins University, USA

    Tama Leventhal

  3. Department of Population and Family Health Science, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, USA

    Tama Leventhal

  4. National Center for Children and Families, Teachers College, Columbia University, USA

    Jeanne Brooks-Gunn

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  1. Christopher R. Browning
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  2. Tama Leventhal
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  3. Jeanne Brooks-Gunn
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This research was conducted with the support of Grant R01 HD42405 from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. The Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods was funded by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the National Institute of Justice, and the National Institute of Mental Health. The findings reported here do not necessarily represent the views of the funders of the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods. We thank Elizabeth Cooksey, Felton Earls, Jeffrey Morenoff, Lori Burrington, Stephen Raudenbush, Sean Reardon, Robert Sampson, and Jeffrey Smith for their helpful comments on earlier drafts.

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Browning, C.R., Leventhal, T. & Brooks-Gunn, J. Neighborhood context and racial differences in early adolescent sexual activity. Demography 41, 697–720 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1353/dem.2004.0029

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