Abstract
This study examined the associations between sexual self-concept (sexual esteem and sexual anxiety) and sexual self-efficacy (situational and resistive) in a sample of 388 high school students (59% Caucasian, 28% African American). Males reported lower sexual esteem and lower sexual self-efficacy than females. Males and African Americans reported higher levels of sexual anxiety and lower levels of resistive self-efficacy than females and Caucasians. In regression models, higher sexual self-esteem uniquely predicted higher sexual self-efficacy scores, even after controlling for demographic variables, knowledge of sexual risk, and previous coital experience. In post hoc analyses, sexual self-esteem mediated the relation between knowledge of sexual risk and both types of sexual self-efficacy. Results suggest the need for interventions to promote male sexual self-efficacy and sexual esteem and the need for longitudinal research that explicates models of sexual health in adolescence.
This manuscript is based on data from a study funded by the National Institute for Nursing Research: Improving School Learning Environments in HIV Prevention, NR08379.
Notes
Note. ∗p < .05. ∗∗p < 0.01. ∗∗∗p < 0.001. se = self-efficacy.
Note. a Comparison group is male.
b Comparison group is White/Caucasian.
A two-way interaction between sex and sexual self-esteem was nonsignificant and was dropped from the final model. ∗∗p < 0.001. Final model F (6,310) = 11.77, p < 0.001.
Note. a Comparison group is male.
b Comparison group is White/Caucasian.
A two-way interactions between sex and sexual self-esteem was nonsignificant and was dropped from the final model. Final model F (6,313) = 12.18, p < 0.001. ∗p < .05. ∗∗p < 0.01. ∗∗∗p < 0.001.