Table 4 Determinants of Parent-Child Communication about Sex, by Gender of Parent and Gender of Child

Parent attitudes toward teen sex (% strongly agree)

   Sexual activity is likely to have harmful effects for teens

32.5

38.4

37.6

50.0

0.012*

0.019*

0.001*

0.002*

   Disapprove of child being sexually active as teenager

55.7

74.7

62.0

76.4

0.182

0.448

0.000*

0.000*

Perceived risk child will have sex as young teen (% very likely or somewhat likely)

35.0

12.4

28.3

12.6

0.125

0.796

0.000*

0.000*

(% strongly agree)

   Child will be less likely to have sex as a young teen

39.8

49.9

47.2

59.0

0.032*

0.122

0.046*

0.003*

   Child would understand the benefits of waiting

27.8

37.4

33.0

49.2

0.193

0.020*

0.022*

0.000*

   Child will listen^b

23.4

25.1

27.7

34.9

0.601

0.002*

0.457

0.107

   Child will not think you are judgmental

18.1

18.7

19.8

24.2

0.502

0.025*

0.168

0.228

   Child will not think you are a hypocrite^b

27.4

26.1

33.6

36.0

0.122

0.047*

0.171

0.860

   Child would not rebel and want to have sex even more^b

32.2

39.9

37.1

43.9

0.484

0.701

0.193

0.195

Shared activities with child (% at least once a week)

   Gone shopping

43.7

33.6

56.7

62.8

0.000*

0.000*

0.015*

0.223

   Do homework or school projects

59.8

59.9

78.5

75.2

0.000*

0.000*

0.860

0.517

   Play a game or sport together

48.2

39.6

32.3

32.3

0.000*

0.185

0.071

0.417

   Gone to a movie, sporting event, etc.

25.8

18.2

26.4

23.4

0.187

0.195

0.084

0.493

   Watched an entire TV show together

74.7

70.1

75.9

77.3

0.796

0.163

0.616

0.918

   Attend a party or family gathering together

21.8

21.7

20.5

23.9

0.493

0.054

0.839

0.502

Closeness to child (% always)

   You and child make decisions about child's life together

30.2

24.1

38.6

42.3

0.003*

0.000*

0.253

0.295

   Child does not interfere with your activities^b

35.6

32.1

43.2

43.7

0.214

0.007*

0.693

0.370

   You get along well with child

51.7

46.9

46.4

40.4

0.353

0.276

0.676

0.168

   You understand child^b

17.2

12.3

13.8

15.1

0.539

0.693

0.457

0.488

   You feel you can really trust child

42.5

46.5

42.3

47.3

0.940

0.841

0.792

0.539

Conflict with child

   In past 12 months, how often argued or had a fight (% 0-2 times)

46.5

41.6

30.7

29.9

0.000*

0.002*

0.659

0.697

Self-efficacy: how sure can explain various topics (% completely sure)

   Ways to have fun with a partner without having sex

39.0

36.6

48.2

47.5

0.031*

0.003*

0.115

0.616

   Why he/she should wait until older to be sexually active

41.2

45.4

50.6

58.1

0.065

0.032*

0.350

0.163

   How to say no

29.1

49.3

37.9

56.3

0.163

0.090

0.000*

0.000*

   How to make a partner wait until child is ready

25.2

30.7

30.1

36.2

0.089

0.069

0.195

0.069

Barriers to communication (% strongly disagree)

   You don't know enough

62.2

62.9

76.0

77.0

0.000*

0.001*

0.796

0.604

   It is difficult to find time to talk^b

26.2

26.2

37.1

47.6

0.006*

0.000*

0.701

0.007*

   It would be difficult for you to explain things

30.8

28.0

43.1

51.8

0.002*

0.000*

0.084

0.028*

Beliefs about timing of talking (% strongly agree)

   You are sure now is the right developmental time to talk

41.2

41.9

49.0

58.0

0.097

0.000*

0.909

0.072