TY - JOUR
T1 - Associations among Negative Urgency, Sensation Seeking, Alcohol Use, Self-Esteem, and Casual Sexual Behavior for College Students
AU - Longo, Laura M.
AU - Ertl, Melissa M.
AU - Pazienza, Rena
AU - Agiliga, Alexandra U.
AU - Dillon, Frank R.
AU - Martin, Jessica L.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2019, © 2019 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
PY - 2020/3/2
Y1 - 2020/3/2
N2 - Background: The present study proposed a moderated mediation model of relations among negative urgency, sensation seeking, alcohol use, self-esteem, and casual sexual behavior among college students. We hypothesized students’ alcohol use would mediate a positive relation between two facets of impulsivity, negative urgency and sensation seeking, with casual sexual behavior. We also examined the influence of self-esteem on alcohol use and casual sexual behavior to determine if self-esteem may serve as a point of intervention. We hypothesized that self-esteem might moderate the relation between casual sexual behavior and alcohol use, such that students who report high alcohol use in addition to low self-esteem would engage in more casual sexual behavior than individuals who report relatively higher levels of self-esteem. Methods: Data were collected in 2015 from 413 undergraduate students at a large Northeastern public university. Structural equation modeling tested the moderated mediation model. Results: Contrary to hypotheses, the theorized model demonstrated an inadequate fit to the data when self-esteem was included. A second structural model was calculated to test alcohol use as a mediator of associations between negative urgency and sensation seeking, and casual sexual behavior. As hypothesized, students’ alcohol use was found to be a mediator of the positive associations between negative urgency and casual sexual behavior and sensation seeking and casual sexual behavior. Conclusions: Findings suggest that alcohol use, negative urgency, and sensation seeking may serve as points of intervention to address casual sexual behavior, as appropriate, among college student populations.
AB - Background: The present study proposed a moderated mediation model of relations among negative urgency, sensation seeking, alcohol use, self-esteem, and casual sexual behavior among college students. We hypothesized students’ alcohol use would mediate a positive relation between two facets of impulsivity, negative urgency and sensation seeking, with casual sexual behavior. We also examined the influence of self-esteem on alcohol use and casual sexual behavior to determine if self-esteem may serve as a point of intervention. We hypothesized that self-esteem might moderate the relation between casual sexual behavior and alcohol use, such that students who report high alcohol use in addition to low self-esteem would engage in more casual sexual behavior than individuals who report relatively higher levels of self-esteem. Methods: Data were collected in 2015 from 413 undergraduate students at a large Northeastern public university. Structural equation modeling tested the moderated mediation model. Results: Contrary to hypotheses, the theorized model demonstrated an inadequate fit to the data when self-esteem was included. A second structural model was calculated to test alcohol use as a mediator of associations between negative urgency and sensation seeking, and casual sexual behavior. As hypothesized, students’ alcohol use was found to be a mediator of the positive associations between negative urgency and casual sexual behavior and sensation seeking and casual sexual behavior. Conclusions: Findings suggest that alcohol use, negative urgency, and sensation seeking may serve as points of intervention to address casual sexual behavior, as appropriate, among college student populations.
KW - Casual sexual behavior
KW - alcohol use
KW - college students
KW - negative urgency
KW - sensation seeking
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85077361946&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85077361946&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/10826084.2019.1703748
DO - 10.1080/10826084.2019.1703748
M3 - Article
C2 - 31876218
AN - SCOPUS:85077361946
SN - 1082-6084
VL - 55
SP - 796
EP - 805
JO - Substance Use and Misuse
JF - Substance Use and Misuse
IS - 5
ER -