Scoring On and Off the Field: Examining the Sexual Activity of Adolescent/Emerging Adult Athletes and Non-Athletes Using an Ecological Perspective

Abstract

This paper highlights a study which used an ecological perspective to explore and identify various risk and protective factors that might influence sexual activity in adolescence and emerging adulthood, with a particular emphasis on the unique experiences of athletes. A sample of 437 undergraduate students completed a questionnaire consisting of the following areas: athletic participation, Athletic Identity Measurement Scale (AIMS), ecological variables, Brief Sensation Seeking Scale (BSSS), sexual activity, and sociodemographics. Results indicate that the link between being an athlete and sexual behavior may not be as direct as previously suggested, but is mediated by the influence of various factors related to the sport participation experience. Factors at the individual, familial, and extrafamilial level were found to affect sexual activity.