Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

How Economic Stress Impacts Risky Sex among African American Adolescents

  • Empirical Research
  • Published:
Journal of Youth and Adolescence Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Given the potential for unintended pregnancy and exposure to sexually transmitted infections, both of which can have long-term deleterious health consequences, the identification of predictors of adolescent risky sexual behavior remains an important line of inquiry. Although prior research has identified a variety of family and individual factors that are associated with risky sexual behavior, few studies have examined the role of family economic stress. The current study utilized three waves of data from a community sample of African American families with adolescents (N = 778, 54% girls, average age = 10.4 years old at Wave 1, 12.3 years old at Wave 2, 15.6 years old at Wave 3) to test the family stress model as an explanation of adolescent risky sexual behavior. Multi-group analyses examined gender differences in the family processes expected to link economic stress and risky sexual behavior. Unlike most studies utilizing this theoretical perspective, family structure was also taken into account. The results supported the propositions of the family stress model for boys and girls for both two-caregiver and single-mother households. Further, in single-mother households, maternal psychological distress continued to have a positive effect on adolescent risky sex even after taking into account the impact of parenting behaviors. Overall, the results suggest that economic stress ripples through the family system, increasing adolescent risky sexual behavior through its negative impact on family processes, highlighting the need for systemic policy changes rather than individual-level intervention/prevention efforts.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bonilla-Silva, E. (2015). The structure of racism in color-blind, “postracial” America. American Behavioral Scientists, 15(11), 1358–1376.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bureau of Labor Statistics (2019). Labor force statistics from the current population survey. Retrieved from: https://www.bls.gov/web/empsit/cpsee_e16.htm

  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2018). Youth risk behavior surveillance—United States, 2017. MMWR, 67(8).

  • Clark, L., & Watson, D. (1995). The mini mood and anxiety symptom questionnaire (mini-masq). University of Iowa.

  • Conger, R. D., Conger, K. J., Elder, G. H., Lorenz, F. O., Simons, R. L., & Whitbeck, L. B. (1992). A family process model of economic hardship and adjustment of early adolescent boys. Child Development, 63, 526–541.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Conger, R. D., Wallace, L. E., Sun, Y., Simons, R. L., McLoyd, V. C., & Brody, G. H. (2002). Economic pressure in African American families. Developmental Psychology, 3, 179–193.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crandall, A., Magnusson, B. M., Novilla, M. L. B., Novilla, L. K. B., & Dyer, W. J. (2017). Family financial stress and adolescent sexual risk-taking: the role of self-regulation. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 46(1), 45–62.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gardner, M., Martin, A., & Brooks‐Gunn, J. (2012). Exploring the link between caregiver affect and adolescent sexual behavior: Does neighborhood disadvantage matter? Journal of Research on Adolescence, 22, 135–149.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gutman, L. M., McLoyd, V. C., & Tokoyawa, T. (2005). Financial strain, neighborhood stress, parenting behaviors, and adolescent adjustment in urban African American families. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 15, 425–449.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hair, E. C., Park, M. J., Ling, T. J., & Moore, K. A. (2009). Risky behaviors in late adolescence: Co-occurrence, predictors, and consequences. Journal of Adolescent Health, 45, 253–261.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hardaway, C. R., & Cornelius, M. D. (2014). Economic hardship and adolescent problem drinking: family processes as mediating influences. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 43(7), 1191–1202.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hu, L., & Bentler, P. M. (1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 6(1), 1–55.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hoskins, D. H., & Simons, L. G. (2015). Predicting the risk of pregnancy among African American youth: Testing a social contextual model. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 24(4), 1163–1174.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jackson, A. P., Choi, J., & Preston, K. (2019). Harsh parenting and Black boys’ behavior problems: Single mothers’ parenting stress and nonresident fathers’ involvement. Family Relations, 68, 436–449.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kalil, A., & Kunz, J. (2002). Teenage childbearing, marital status, and depressive symptoms in later life. Child Development, 73(6), 1748–1760.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kline, R. B. (2016). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling (4th ed.). New York: Guilford Publications.

  • Kogan, S. M., Brody, G. H., Chen, Y.-F., Grange, C. M., Slater, L. M., & DiClemente, R. J. (2010). Risk and protective factors for unprotected intercourse among rural African American emerging adults. Public Health Reports, 25, 709–717.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kwon, J. A., & Wickrama, K. A. S. (2014). Linking Family economic pressure and supportive parenting to adolescent health behaviors: Two developmental pathways leading to health promoting and health risk behaviors. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 43, 1176–1190.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lansford, J. E., Yu, T., Erath, S. A., Pettit, G. S., Bates, J. E., & Dodge, K. A. (2010). Developmental precursors of number of sexual partners from age 16 to 22. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 20, 651–677.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Landers‐Potts, M. A., Wickrama, K. A. S., Simons, L. G., Cutrona, C., Gibbons, F. X., Simons, R. L., & Conger, R. (2015). An extension and moderational analysis of the family stress model focusing on African American adolescents. Family Relations, 64(2), 233–248.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee, T., Wickrama, K. K., & Simons, L. (2013). Chronic family economic hardship, family processes and progression of mental andphysical health symptoms in adolescence. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 42, 821–836.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Little, R. J. A. (1998). A test of missing completely at random for multivariate data with missing values. Journal of American Statistical Association, 83, 1198–1202.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martin, J. A., Hamilton, B. E., Osterman, M. J., Driscoll, A. K., & Drake, P. (2018). Births: Final data for 2017. National Center for Health Statistics. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr67/nvsr67_08-508.pdf.

  • Melby, J. N., & Conger, R. D. (2001). The Iowa family interaction rating scales: instrument summary. In Family observational coding systems: resources for systemic research. (pp. 33–58). Hillsdale, NY: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers.

  • Michener, J., & Brower, M. T. (2020). What’s policy got to do with it? Race, gender, and economic inequality in the United States. Daedalus, 149(1), 100–118.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Murry, V. M., Berkel, C., Simons, R. L., Simons, L. G., & Gibbons, F. X. (2014). A twelve-year longitudinal analysis of positive youth development among rural African American males. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 24, 512–525.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Murry, V. M., Brown, P. A., Brody, G. H., Cutrona, C. E., & Simons, R. L. (2001). Racial discrimination as a moderator of the links among stress, maternal psychological functioning, and family relationships. Journal of Marriage and Family, 63, 915–992.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Murry, V. M., Simons, R. L., Simons, L. G., & Gibbons, F. X. (2013). Contributions of family environment and parenting processes to sexual risk and substance use of rural African American males: a 4‐year longitudinal analysis. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 83(2–3), 299–309.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Muthén, L. K., & Muthén B. O. (2018). Mplus 8.2 (Computer Program). Version 8.2. Los Angeles, CA: Muthén & Muthén.

  • Neppl, T. K., Dhalewadikar, J., & Lohman, B. J. (2016). Harsh parenting, deviant peers, adolescent risky behavior: Understanding the meditational effect of attitudes and intentions. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 26(3), 538–551.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Neppl, T. K., Senia, J. M., & Donnellan, M. B. (2016). Effects of economic hardship: testing the family stress model over time. Journal of Family Psychology, 30, 12–21.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pager, D., & Shephard, H. (2008). The sociology of discrimination: racial discrimination in employment, housing, credit, and consumer markets. Annual Review of Sociology, 34, 181–209.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parkes, A., Henderson, M., Wight, D., & Nixon, C. (2011). Is parenting associated with teenagers’ early sexual risk-taking, autonomy and relationship with sexual partners? Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 43(1), 30–40.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parolin, Z. (2019). Temporary assistance for needy families and the black-white child poverty gap in the United States. Socio-Economic Review.

  • Perper, K., Peterson, K., and Manlove, J. (2010). Diploma attainment among teen mothers. Washington, DC: Child Trends. Fact Sheet Publication# 2010-01.

  • Preacher, K. J., & Hayes, A. F. (2008). Asymptotic and resampling strategies for assessing and comparing indirect effects in multiple mediator models. Behavior Research Methods, 40, 879–891.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schafer, J. L., & Graham, J. W. (2002). Missing data: Our view of the state of the art. Psychological Measurement, 7(2), 147–177.

    Google Scholar 

  • Simons, L. G., Burt, C., & Tambling, R. (2013). Identifying mediators for the influence of family factors on risky sex. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 22, 460–470.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Simons, L. G., & Steele, M. E. (2020). The negative impact of economic hardship on adolescent academic engagement: an examination parental investment and family stress processes. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 49, 973–990.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Simons, L. G., Sutton, T. E., Simons, R. L., Gibbons, F. X., & McBride Murry, V. (2016). Mechanisms that link parenting practices to adolescents’ risky sexual behavior: a test of six competing theories. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 45, 255–270.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Simons, L. G., Wickrama, K. A., Lee, T. K., Landers‐Potts, M., Cutrona, C., & Conger, R. D. (2016). Testing family stress and family investment explanations for conduct problems among African American adolescents. Journal of Marriage and Family, 78, 498–515.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Steele, M. E., Simons, L. G., Sutton, T. E., & Gibbons, F. X. (2020). Family context and adolescent risky sexual behavior: an examination of the influence of family structure, family transitions and parenting. Journal of Youth & Adolescence, 49, 1179–1194.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sutton, T. E., & Simons, L. G. (2021). Examining adolescent family experiences as risks for young adulthood intimate partner violence in two longitudinal samples. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 50, 1797–1810.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sutton, T. E., Simons, L. G., Simons, R. L., & Cutrona, C. (2017). Psychological distress, couple interactions, and parenting: A dyadic analysis of African American couples. Journal of Marriage and Family, 79, 850–864.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, Z. E., Larsen-Rife, D., Conger, R. D., Widaman, K. F., & Cutrona, C. E. (2010). Life stress, maternal optimism, and adolescent competence in single mother, African American families. Journal of Family Psychology, 24, 468–477.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Todd, J., Kothe, E., Mullan, B., & Monds, L. (2016). Reasoned versus reactive prediction of behaviour: A meta analysis of the prototype willingness model. Health psychology review, 10(1), 1–24.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Trisi, D., & Saenz, M. (2021). Economic security programs reduce overall poverty, racial and ethnic inequities. Washington, DC: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Retrieved from https://www.cbpp.org/sites/default/files/atoms/files/1-28-21pov.pdf

  • U.S. Census Bureau. (2017). Wealth and asset ownership for households, by type of asset and selected characteristics. Retrieved from: https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2017/demo/wealth/wealth-asset-ownership.html

  • U. S. Census Bureau. (2020). Historical Families Tables. Retrieved from: https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/families/families.html

  • White, R. M., Liu, Y., Nair, R. L., & Tein, J. Y. (2015). Longitudinal and integrative tests of family stress model effects on Mexican origin adolescents. Developmental Psychology, 51(5), 649–662.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wickrama, K. A. S., Lorenz, F. O., Conger, R. D., & Matthew, L. (1995). Role identity, role satisfaction, and perceived physical health. Social Psychology Quarterly, 58, 270–283.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Workowski, K. & Bolan, G. (2015). Sexually transmitted diseases treatment guidelines, 2015. MMWR, 65(3).

  • Yamasaki, V., & Le, T. P. (2021). Family matters: the impact of traditional and egalitarian gender role messages on sexual and gender minority Latinx adults’ alcohol use and sexual risk. The Journal of Sex Research, 1–10.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA

    Alyssa L. Brown & Leslie Gordon Simons

  2. Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA

    Frederick X. Gibbons

Authors
  1. Alyssa L. Brown
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Leslie Gordon Simons
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Frederick X. Gibbons
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

A.L.B. conceived of the study, performed the statistical analysis and interpretation of the data, and drafted the manuscript; L.G.S. participated in the study design and coordination and assisted in drafting the manuscript; F.X.G. assisted in drafting the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Funding

This work was supported by funding from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (R01 HL118045), the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (R01 HD080749), the National Institute on Aging (R01 AG055393), the National Institute on Drug Abuse (R21 DA034457, R01 DA021898, R01 DA018871), the National Institute of Mental Health (R01 MH48165, R01 MH62666, R01 MH62668, R01 MH62699, 1P30DA02782), the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse & Alcoholism (2R01AA012768, 3R01AA012768-90S1) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U01CD001645).

Data Sharing and Declaration

This manuscript’s data will not be deposited.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alyssa L. Brown.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare no competing interests.

Ethical Approval

This project on which this study was based was approved by the appropriate institutional and/or national research ethics committee. This study has been performed in accordance with the ethical standards as laid down in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments.

Informed Consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Additional information

Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Brown, A.L., Simons, L.G. & Gibbons, F.X. How Economic Stress Impacts Risky Sex among African American Adolescents. J Youth Adolescence 51, 1074–1088 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-021-01529-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-021-01529-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation