A Moderated Mediation Model of Parent–Child Communication, Risk Taking, Alcohol Consumption, and Sexual Experience in Early Adulthood

Abstract

The relationship between risk-taking personality and health-risk behaviors has been widely established, where people who like to take risks are more likely to engage in risky sexual behaviors such as having multiple casual partners and having unprotected sex. Drawing on a national U.S. sample from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, the present study examined the relationship between risk-taking personality and sexual experience among adults in early adulthood, and the role of family (parent–child) communication in moderating this relationship. Findings indicated that, for both males and females, the effect of risk taking on sexual experience through alcohol use dissipated at high levels of father–child communication. However, mother–child communication did not have such moderating effects. Implications for the way in which we study parent–child communication are discussed.