Testing theoretical elements as predictors of sexual behavior by race among rural adolescents residing in AFDC families

The study in this article was a telephone survey of 414 adolescents who resided with rural families receiving AFDC in 10 counties in Arkansas. The purpose of the study was to determine what demographic and theoretical factors from control, strain (or opportunity), and social learning theories predicted occurrence of sexual intercourse in the past year and whether people had lifetime sexual partners among African American and white youths. Results from logistic regression analyses indicated that the primary predictors of both measures of sexual behavior for white youths were age and peer association, whereas for African American youths they were age, gender, and family structure before age 12. Implications of this first theoretical study of sexual behavior among youths in rural AFDC families are discussed in the context of current welfare reform proposals.