Objective:
To expand understanding of the behavioral epidemiology of an important sexually transmitted disease risk factor within a clinical framework of the AMA Guidelines for Adolescent Preventive Services (GAPS): Recommendations and Rationale.
Design:
Cross-sectional analysis of the fourth year of a longitudinal study of adolescent health behavior.
Setting:
High schools in a single major urban school district.
Participants:
Nine hundred and forty-six white, African American, and Hispanic sexually active adolescents.
Main Outcome Measures:
Number of sexual partners in previous year and other health-risk and health-protective behaviors. Measures are operationalized according to guidelines for adolescent preventive services recommendations.
Results:
Adolescents with 3 or more sexual partners annually were more involved with potentially health-harming behaviors such as illicit substance use and less involved with potentially health-protective behaviors such as seat belt use. These relationships were independent of sex, ethnic group, or socioeconomic status.
Conclusions:
The number of sexual partners may be considered part of a larger pattern of adolescent health-risk and health-protective behaviors. The guidelines may provide a useful framework for clinical assessment of these patterns as part of a routine health care visit of adolescent patients.Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 1997;151:1139-1143