The relationship between number of sports played and risky sexual behavior in high school girls

Abstract

Little is known about how the extent of athletic participation relates to sexual conduct for adolescent girls. The present study investigated how the number of sports played by female athletes in high school predicted their reports of risky sexual behavior. Participants included 2,304 female high school students from 9th grade through 12th grade from a Midwestern state. The students attended 27 high schools in seven counties and were recruited from a health prevention program called I Sing the Body Electric. As part of this program, students completed a confidential questionnaire that evaluated a number of health related issues. Two questions pertained to risky sexual behavior and asked participants to indicate their number of previous sexual partners and whether or not a condom was used the last time they engaged in sexual intercourse. Chi-square analyses found a significant relationship between number of sexual partners and number of sports played and also between condom usage and number of sports played. Overall, high school girls who participated in sports were more likely to report that they have never had sex than were girls who were not involved in athletics; this was especially true for girls participating in three or more sports. When evaluating condom use, more girls in the entire sample reported the use of a condom than no condom usage, with girls playing one or two sports reporting the highest percentage of condom use. Results from the present study add to the growing research literature that suggests that involvement in sports can be related to a positive outcome for female adolescents facing sexual pressures.

Date of Award	2006
Original language	American English
Awarding Institution	Eastern Illinois University
Supervisor	Linda Leal (Supervisor)