Journal Article

Trajectories of Risk for Early Sexual Activity and Early Substance Use in the Fast Track Prevention Program

2014

Overview

Children who exhibit early-starting conduct problems are more likely than their peers to initiate sexual activity and substance use at an early age, experience pregnancy, and contract a sexually-transmitted disease [STD], placing them at risk for HIV/AIDS. Hence, understanding the development of multi-problem profiles among youth with early-starting conduct problems may benefit the design of prevention programs. In this study, 1,199 kindergarten children (51 % African American; 47 % European American; 69 % boys) over-sampled for high rates of aggressive-disruptive behavior problems were followed through age 18. Latent class analyses (LCA) were used to define developmental profiles associated with the timing of initiation of sexual activity, tobacco and alcohol/drug use and indicators of risky adolescent sex (e.g. pregnancy and STD). Half of the high-risk children were randomized to a multi-component preventive intervention (Fast Track). The intervention did not significantly reduce membership in the classes characterized by risky sex practices. However, additional analyses examined predictors of poor outcomes, which may inform future prevention efforts.

• Publisher: Springer US,Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome / Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) / Adolescent / Adolescent Behavior / Adolescent sexuality / Adolescents / African Americans / Aggression / AIDS / Alcohol / Alcohol use / Antisocial Behavior / Behavior problems / Behavior Theories / Boys / Child / Child and School Psychology / Child Behavior Disorders - epidemiology / Child Behavior Disorders - prevention & control / Children / Conceptual Tempo / Conduct disorder / Control Groups / Disruptive behaviour / Drug abuse / Drug use / Early Adolescents / Elementary Education / Elementary Schools / Exhibits / Female / Grade 1 / Health Psychology / High risk / HIV / Human immunodeficiency virus / Humans / Interpersonal Competence / Intervention / Juvenile Justice / Kindergarten / Learning Problems / Male / Medicine / Medicine & Public Health / Membership / Middle Schools / Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Parenting Styles / Peers / Pregnancy / Pregnancy in Adolescence - prevention & control / Pregnancy in Adolescence - statistics & numerical data / Prevention / Prevention programs / Profiles / Program Design / Public Health / Risk / Risk-Taking / Sexual Behavior / Sexually transmitted diseases / Sexually Transmitted Diseases - epidemiology / Sexually Transmitted Diseases - prevention & control / Social classes / Social programs / STD / Substance abuse / Substance-Related Disorders - epidemiology / Substance-Related Disorders - prevention & control / Tobacco / United States - epidemiology / Young Children / Youth