"Adolescents’ beliefs about sex: The moderating effects of peer attitud" by Kimiko Ching, Shantanu Tilak et al. DOI: 10.1177/02724316241249483">
 

Adolescents’ beliefs about sex: The moderating effects of peer attitudes

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2024

Department/School

Health Promotion and Human Performance

Publication Title

The Journal of Early Adolescence

Abstract

Peer beliefs and attitudes play a prominent role in adolescent behaviors. Various curricula have been developed to teach students about sexual health from a skills-based perspective with successful, lasting effects. This study examined how adolescents’ expectancies for success in and values held for a sexual health curriculum are related to their attitudes toward waiting to have sex, attitudes toward using a condom, self-efficacy in negotiating condom use, self-efficacy in refusal skills, and self-efficacy in navigating tricky situations, depending on their perceptions of their peers’ attitudes. Results indicate that perceived peer attitudes toward waiting to have sex were a significant moderator, more so than peer attitudes about condom use. Additionally, results suggest that sex plays a role in students’ sexual health beliefs and self-efficacies. Future work should examine further explanatory paths and influences such as caregivers.

Comments

Y. Allsop is a faculty member in EMU's School of Health Promotion and Human Performance.

Link to Published Version

DOI: 10.1177/02724316241249483

Link to Full Text

Share

COinS