TY - JOUR
T1 - A Latent Profile Analysis of Social Support, Online Contacts, and Preference for Online Communication Among Same- and Both-Sex Attracted and Other-Sex Attracted Adolescents
AU - Kiekens, Wouter J.
AU - Kaufman, Tessa M.L.
AU - Baams, Laura
AU - de Lange, Jennifer
AU - de Looze, Margreet E.
AU - Stevens, Gonneke W.J.M.
AU - Bos, H. M.W.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Author(s). Published with license by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
PY - 2024/2/26
Y1 - 2024/2/26
N2 - This study aimed to assess differences between other-sex attracted and same- and both-sex attracted adolescents in profiles of peer and family social support, online contacts, and preferences for online communication. Data stem from the 2017 Dutch “Health and Behavior in School-Aged Children” (HBSC) survey (N = 6,823; 4.0% same- and both-sex attracted; M age=14.73, SD = 1.59, range = 12–18). We conducted latent profile analyses to estimate profiles in peer and family social support, online contacts, and preferences for online communication. Then we assessed the association between sexual attraction and profile membership. A five-profile solution fitted the data best. Profiles were characterized as high support, online contact, and average online communication preference (35.6%); high support, low online contact, and weak online communication preference (42.9%); average support, high online contact, and strong online communication preference (9.9%); low support, low online contact, and average online communication preference (6.9%); and low support, average online contact, and average online communication preference (5.0%). Same- and both-sex attracted adolescents had higher odds than other-sex attracted adolescents of being in the latter three profiles than in the first profile. Thus, same- and both-sex attracted adolescents were more likely to report average to low rates of peer and family social support, high to low frequency of online contact, and an average to strong preference for online communication than other-sex attracted adolescents. The average to low levels of support especially influenced these sexual orientation-based differences in profile membership.
AB - This study aimed to assess differences between other-sex attracted and same- and both-sex attracted adolescents in profiles of peer and family social support, online contacts, and preferences for online communication. Data stem from the 2017 Dutch “Health and Behavior in School-Aged Children” (HBSC) survey (N = 6,823; 4.0% same- and both-sex attracted; M age=14.73, SD = 1.59, range = 12–18). We conducted latent profile analyses to estimate profiles in peer and family social support, online contacts, and preferences for online communication. Then we assessed the association between sexual attraction and profile membership. A five-profile solution fitted the data best. Profiles were characterized as high support, online contact, and average online communication preference (35.6%); high support, low online contact, and weak online communication preference (42.9%); average support, high online contact, and strong online communication preference (9.9%); low support, low online contact, and average online communication preference (6.9%); and low support, average online contact, and average online communication preference (5.0%). Same- and both-sex attracted adolescents had higher odds than other-sex attracted adolescents of being in the latter three profiles than in the first profile. Thus, same- and both-sex attracted adolescents were more likely to report average to low rates of peer and family social support, high to low frequency of online contact, and an average to strong preference for online communication than other-sex attracted adolescents. The average to low levels of support especially influenced these sexual orientation-based differences in profile membership.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85187136048&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/00224499.2024.2319245
DO - 10.1080/00224499.2024.2319245
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85187136048
SN - 0022-4499
JO - Journal of Sex Research
JF - Journal of Sex Research
ER -