Neighborhood-Level Influences on Young Men's Sexual and Reproductive Health Behaviors.

We used data from the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth to examine the influence of neighborhood characteristics on young males' sexual and reproductive health (SRH). We linked census tract data to construct a Neighborhood Disadvantage Scale for 1092 never-married males aged 15 to 19 years, and we examined the association of neighborhood disadvantage with 11 SRH behaviors for each male. We found significant associations between neighborhood disadvantage and measures of partnering and pregnancy. Public health research and policies must consider the role of neighborhood context when addressing health behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]