Perceived environmental threats as a factor in reproductive behavior: an examination of American youth

Abstract

This study presents a test of general life history theory by estimating the association between perceived environmental threat (PET) and reproductive outcomes among American youth. Data for the study came from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997–2009, which consists of a nationally representative sample of youth. Analyses were based on a subsample of N=4748 respondents who were aged 12–14 years in 1997; reported having no biological children in 1997; and, for females, were not pregnant at the time of the 1997 interview. PET was measured using 11 questionnaire items that asked respondents about experiences with violent assaults from peers, witnessing violent assaults, and nonviolent crime victimization. First childbirth occurred earlier among respondents who reported higher PET in 1997. Average fertility during the study period was also higher among respondents with higher PET. Male and female respondents' reproductive behaviors were similarly associated with PET. However, only among female respondents was the association between PET and fertility moderated by the quality of the household environment.