Citation

Riggs NR, Tate EB, Ridenour TA, Reynolds MD, Zhai ZW, Vanyukov MM, Tarter RE. J. Adolesc. Health 2013; 53(4): 465-470.

Affiliation

Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado. Electronic address: nathaniel.riggs@colostate.edu.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.jadohealth.2013.05.017

PMID

23876782

Abstract

PURPOSE: This longitudinal study tested the hypothesis that neurobehavioral disinhibition (ND) in childhood, mediated by alcohol use, portends risky sexual behavior (number of sexual partners) in midadolescence. METHODS: Participants were 410 adolescent boys. Neurobehavioral disinhibition was assessed at 11.3 years of age. Frequency and quantity of alcohol use on a typical drinking occasion were assessed at 13.4 years of age at first follow-up, and sexual behavior at 16.0 years at second follow-up. RESULTS: Quantity of alcohol consumed on a typical drinking occasion, but not frequency of alcohol use, mediated the relation between ND and number of sexual partners. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that number of sexual partners in midadolescence is predicted by individual differences in boys' psychological self-regulation during childhood and moderate alcohol consumption in early adolescence, and that ND may be a potential target for multi-outcome public health interventions.

Language: en