Sexual Behaviors among Latino Youth: The Role of Religiosity and Communication.

A mediational model was tested where religiosity predicted sexual behaviors of 386 Catholic Latino adolescents aged 12 to 16 based on parental-adolescent communication about sex. Religiosity predicted greater intentions to delay intercourse after controlling for differences in age and gender. This effect was not mediated by extent of communication. Frequent parental communication about sex predicted adolescents being older at first intercourse after controlling for age and gender. Religiosity and communication did not predict contraceptive use. Results suggest religiosity and parental communications about sex contribute independently to the sexual socialization of Latino youth. (Contains 64 references and 3 tables.) (Author) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. Adolescent Sexual Behavior I 71re) Running head: RELIGIOSITY AND SEXUAL BEHAVIOR kr) Sexual Behaviors Among Latino Youth: The Role of Religiosity and Communication Michele M. Schlehofer-Sutton, M.A. Claremont Graduate University Bianca L. Guzman, Ph.D.