Youth Assets and Sexual Abstinence in Native American Youth

Compared with youth of other races/ethnicities, Native American youth (ages 15–19 years) are more likely to have participated in sexual intercourse, thus placing them at greater risk for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and unintended pregnancies. This study's purpose was to investigate relationships among protective factors (assets) and sexual intercourse in a Native American youth population. Data were collected from Native American youth and their parents (N=126 youth/parent pairs) living in randomly-selected households using in-person, in-home interview methods. Nine youth assets were the independent variables and never had sexual intercourse was the dependent variable. Data were analyzed using logistic regression. One significant (p<.05) asset main effect and one asset by youth age interaction were found. Youth with the Non-Parental Adult Role Models asset were 3.8 times more likely to have never had sex compared with youth without the asset. Further study of the influence of protective factors among Native American youth is warranted.