Was Bob Seger Right? Relation Between Boredom in Leisure and [Risky] Sex

Abstract

This article examines the association between boredom in leisure and risky sexual behaviors among South African youth (N = 1695) using longitudinal data. We hypothesized that youth who were higher on boredom in leisure at the end of ninth grade would be more likely to report engaging in risky sexual behaviors at the beginning of tenth grade. Chi-square results indicate youth, especially male youth who experience high levels of leisure boredom in ninth grade, are more likely to engage in risky sexual behaviors in tenth grade. These findings have implications for prevention programs that aim to delay sexual initiation, reduce sexual risk behaviors, and decrease the transmission of HIV and AIDS. The findings support the need for additional research on how the reduction of leisure boredom may be a potential target for reducing sexual risk among youth.

Keywords:

• adolescents
• boredom
• leisure
• sexual risk

Notes

Analysis of variance was used to test for differences between Catholic/Christian youth and Islamic youth in levels of boredom, and all sexual behaviors reported on in this paper among all youth, male youth only, and female youth only. All results were nonsignificant.