Predictors of sexual abstinence: A prospective study of college women in the United States

Figures & data

Table 1. Means, standard deviations (SD), and correlations among analysis variables

Variable	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Mean	SD
1. 3-month follow-up coitus	–										1.27	0.45
2. Intention	0.76****	–									2.41	1.43
3. Attitude	0.61****	0.85****	–								2.63	1.32
4. Subjective norm	0.44****	0.66****	0.70****	–							2.44	0.82
5. Abs behavioral beliefs	−0.40****	−0.64****	−0.73****	−0.76****	–						3.02	1.08
6. Coitus behavioral beliefs	−0.29****	−0.42****	−0.49****	−0.50****	0.63****	–					1.99	0.72
7. Relationship status	0.57****	0.54****	0.39****	0.32****	−0.19**	−0.18*	–				1.34	0.47
8. Alcohol use	0.27***	0.35****	0.43****	0.34****	−0.43****	−0.40****	−0.00	–			4.07	3.62
9. Marijuana use	0.20**	0.18*	0.17*	0.20**	−0.21**	−0.22**	0.02	0.32****	–		0.55	1.48
10. Asian	−0.14	−0.17*	−0.18*	−0.35****	0.28***	0.29***	−0.08	−0.25***	−0.17*	–	0.24	0.43
11. Other minority	0.13	0.05	−0.00	0.00	0.12	−0.01	0.11	−0.01	−0.06	−0.28***	0.20	0.40

Notes: Abs behavioral beliefs = beliefs about the positive consequences of sexual abstinence. Coitus behavioral beliefs = beliefs about the negative consequences of sexual intercourse. Relationship status is coded “2” if the person has a steady boyfriend and “1” if the person does not have a steady boyfriend. Alcohol use is sum of the self-reported number of days on which they consumed alcohol in the past 30 days. Marijuana use is sum of the self-reported number of days on which they consumed marijuana in the past 30 days. Asian is a dummy variable where 1 = Asian and 0 = not Asian. Other minority is a dummy variable where 1 = Black, Latina, or Native American and 0 = White or Asian.

^* p < 0.05.

^** p < 0.01.

*** p < 0.001.

**** p < 0.0001.

Table 2. Hierarchical proportional-odds analysis of predictors of baseline intention to have sexual intercourse (n = 172)

Predictors	Step 1: Theory of reasoned action		Step 2: Adding external variables
	OR (95% CI)	p-value	OR (95% CI)	p-value
Attitude	8.75 (5.40, 14.17)	<0.0001	8.84 (5.24, 14.92)	<0.0001
Subjective norm	2.22 (1.26, 3.91)	0.0056	2.10 (1.13, 3.85)	0.0174
Relationship status	–		6.21 (2.84, 13.56)	<0.0001
Alcohol use	–		1.02 (0.92, 1.14)	0.6493
Marijuana use	–		1.13 (0.91, 1.40)	0.2614
Asian	–		1.21 (0.49, 3.03)	0.6809
Other minority	–		1.36 (0.52, 3.55)	0.5317

Notes: Relationship status is coded “2” if the person has a steady boyfriend and “1” if the person does not have a steady boyfriend. Alcohol use is sum of the self-reported number of days on which they consumed alcohol in the past 30 days. Marijuana use is sum of the self-reported number of days on which they consumed marijuana in the past 30 days. Asian is a dummy variable where 1 = Asian and 0 = not Asian. Other minority is a dummy variable where 1 = Black, Latina, or Native American and 0 = White or Asian.

Table 3. Hierarchical logistic regression analysis of self-reported coitus at 3-month follow-up (n = 165)

	Step 1: Intention		Step 2: Adding TRA variables and external variables
Predictors	OR (95% CI)	p-value	OR (95% CI)	p-value
Intention	5.71 (3.45, 9.45)	<0.0001	4.54 (1.84, 11.24)	0.0011
Attitude	–		1.13 (0.42, 3.07)	0.8040
Subjective norm	–		0.62 (0.21, 1.82)	0.3879
Relationship status	–		8.42 (2.08, 33.99)	0.0028
Alcohol use	–		1.13 (0.95, 1.36)	0.1668
Marijuana use	–		1.23 (0.94, 1.61)	0.1256
Asian race	–		0.91 (0.16, 5.23)	0.9150
Other race	–		1.85 (0.39, 8.78)	0.4387

Notes: Relationship status is coded “2” if the person has a steady boyfriend and “1” if the person does not have a steady boyfriend. Alcohol use is sum of the self-reported number of days on which they consumed alcohol in the past 30 days. Marijuana use is sum of the self-reported number of days on which they consumed marijuana in the past 30 days. Asian is a dummy variable where 1 = Asian and 0 = not Asian. Other minority is a dummy variable where 1 = Black, Latina, or Native American and 0 = White or Asian.

Table 4. Hierarchical proportional-odds analysis of predictors of baseline attitude toward sexual intercourse (n = 172)

	Step 1: Behavioral beliefs		Step 2: Adding external variables
Predictors	OR (95% CI)	p-value	OR (95% CI)	p-value
Abstinence behavioral belief	0.17 (0.11, 0.27)	<0.0001	0.16 (0.10, 0.26)	<0.0001
Coitus behavioral belief	0.67 (0.38, 1.16)	0.1516	0.78 (0.43, 1.41)	0.4117
Relationship status	–		5.35 (2.74, 10.45)	<0.0001
Alcohol use	–		1.15 (1.04, 1.26)	0.0044
Marijuana use	–		0.98 (0.80, 1.20)	0.8384
Asian	–		1.68 (0.76, 3.69)	0.1985
Other minority	–		1.62 (0.71, 3.68)	0.2538

Notes: Abstinence behavioral beliefs = beliefs about the positive consequences of sexual abstinence. Coitus behavioral beliefs = beliefs about the negative consequences of sexual intercourse. Relationship status is coded “2” if the person has a steady boyfriend and “1” if the person does not have a steady boyfriend. Alcohol use is sum of the self-reported number of days on which they consumed alcohol in the past 30 days. Marijuana use is sum of the self-reported number of days on which they consumed marijuana in the past 30 days. Asian is a dummy variable where 1 = Asian and 0 = not Asian. Other minority is a dummy variable where 1 = Black, Latina, or Native American and 0 = White or Asian.