Working Paper: NBER ID: w16172
Authors: Susan Averett; Hope Corman; Nancy Reichman
Abstract: We use data from The National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health to estimate effects of adolescent girls' overweight on their propensity to engage in risky sexual behavior. We estimate single equation, two-stage, and sibling fixed-effects models and find that overweight or obese teenage girls are more likely than their recommended-weight peers to engage in certain types of risky sexual behavior but not others. The results from this study underscore the importance of using multifaceted and contemporary measures of risky sexual behavior and have implications for the health and well-being of adolescent girls.
Keywords: Overweight; Risky Sexual Behavior; Adolescent Girls
JEL Codes: I1; J1
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Body weight (I14) | Risky sexual behavior (I12) |
| Overweight or obese (I14) | Engagement in anal intercourse (F55) |
| Overweight or obese (I14) | Likelihood of vaginal intercourse without a condom (C29) |
| Relative weight (I14) | Engagement in anal intercourse (F55) |
| Body weight (I14) | Likelihood of vaginal intercourse without a condom (C29) |