Factors associated with time of day of sexual activity among adolescent women
Presented in part at the Society for Adolescent Medicine meeting, San Diego, CA, March 16, 2001, and at the International Society for STD Research meeting, Ottawa, Canada, July 29, 2003.
Received 15 October 2004; accepted 2 February 2005.
Background
Our objective was to describe familial, intrapersonal, and partner-related factors associated with time of day of sexual activity among adolescent women.
Methods
Annual questionnaires and daily diaries were collected from 106 adolescents. Participants contributed up to 3 questionnaires and 5 12-week diary periods over 27 months. Predictor variables included type of day (weekend, school day, vacation day); partner variables (argument with partner, partner emotional support, time spent with partner); parent/family variables such as supervision, monitoring, and attitudes about adolescent sexual behavior; and mood and behavior variables such as negative mood, positive mood, and sexual interest. The outcome variable for each diary day was no coitus, coitus between noon and 6 pm, or coitus after 6 pm.
Results
Coitus occurred on 12.0% of the diary days. Coital events were more than twice as likely to occur after 6 pm (8.5% of days) than in the afternoon (3.5% of days). Afternoon sex was least likely to occur on school days whereas evening sex occurred most often on weekends. An argument with a partner, partner emotional support, time spent with partner, sexual interest, and coital frequency were associated with increased likelihood of afternoon sex, whereas parental supervision and negative mood were associated with decreased likelihood of afternoon sex. For school days, skipping school was associated with increased likelihood of afternoon sex. Evening/night sexual activity was not associated with any parent/family variables.
Conclusion
Afternoon sex on school days is relatively uncommon. Direct parental supervision may decrease afternoon sexual activity but relationship and intrapersonal factors also are important factors in the timing of sexual activity on any given day.
ABSTRACT