New media use and sexual behavior among Latino adolescents.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: To examine the relationship between SMS/social media use and sexual behavior among Latino adolescents. METHODS: Four hundred twenty-eight 9(th)- and 10(th)-grade Latino adolescents were recruited to participate in a survey. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to examine associations between new media use and sexual behaviors. RESULTS: There is a significant association between frequency of SMS/social media use and sexual behavior after controlling for age, gender, survey language, and nativity. CONCLUSIONS: Latino adolescents using SMS and social media at higher frequencies are more likely to have ever had sex. Future research must continue to explore this relationship.