Predictors of Latino men's paternity in teen pregnancy: Test of a mediational model of childhood experiences, gender role attitudes, and behaviors.

Abstract

In addressing teen pregnancy, researchers have given scant attention either to the male partners or to psychological variables that might affect incidence rates. This study examined the contribution of developmental and psychosocial factors to the number of teen pregnancies for which young Latino men had been responsible. Data from a community sample of 307 Latino men were used to test a mediated model that incorporated 5 classes of variables: (a) developmental, family-of-origin variables, including indicators of quality of childhood experience; (b) gender-related attitudes and emotionality, including masculine ideology and alexithymia; (c) dating characteristics; (d) sexual behavior; and (e) the number of teen pregnancies for which a Latino man had been responsible. Results indicated that men's involvement in teen pregnancy was mediated not only by sexual activity, but that it was also affected by both developmental factors and gender-related attitudes and emotionality. Implications for teen pregnancy prevention, intervention, and research are discussed.