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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2025 Aug 21.
Published in final edited form as: Child Youth Serv Rev. 2023 Oct 21;156:107247. doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2023.107247

Table 3.

Predictor variables and interaction terms selected by lasso, with coefficients and statistical significance.

Initiation Recent sex Sex without a condom
Attracted to both male and female gender people × Hispanic 0.396 Ever had sex 0.297*** Ever had sex 0.172***
Attracted to both male and female gender people × Mother’s education: Some college or more 0.0562 Had sex in the past three months 0.118 Had sex in the last three months 0.0823*
Attracted to both male and female gender people × Father’s education: Some college or more 0.231 Substance use scale 0.106
White × Substance use scale 0.519** Attracted to same-gender people × Knowledge about other contraception 0.593*** Father figure present × How many times had sex in last three months 0.00386
Multiracial × Beliefs about condoms 0.277** Substance use scale × Knowledge of pregnancy 0.292 Mother’s education: High school or less × Ever had sex 0.0751**
Other race × Attitudes about condoms −0.342** In a serious relationship × Refusal skill 0.0710** Had sex without a condom in past three months × Knowledge of condoms 0.101
Mother’s education: Some college or more × Sexting scale 0.0250 Grade 9 × Mother figure present −0.0409* Substance use scale × Knowledge of pregnancy 0.460***
Mother’s education: Some college or more × Ever been in a relationship 0.0215 Negotiating skill × Ever had sex 0.0386 Knowledge of HIV × Ever had sex 0.0547
 Age × Kissing scale −0.00176 Number of partners for vaginal sex × Summer between baseline and follow-up 0.0286*** Knowledge of condoms × Ever had sex 0.115
Age × Ever been in a relationship 0.00327 Knowledge of condoms × Ever had sex 0.0266 Age × Times had sex in past three months 0.000183*
Substance use scale × In a casual relationship 0.387* Knowledge of HIV × Ever had sex 0.0235
Substance use scale × Knowledge about condoms 0.213 Substance use scale × Knowledge of condoms −0.00919
Substance use scale × Sexting scale 0.0276 Had sex in the past three months × Negotiating skill 0.00500
In a serious relationship × Attitudes about condoms 0.0651 Knowledge of pregnancy × How many times had sex in last three months 0.00334
In a serious relationship × Kissing scale 0.0580 Father figure present × How many times had sex in last three months 0.00214
In a serious relationship × Intent to have vaginal sex in next 12 months 0.0840
Grade 9 × Summer between baseline and follow-up −0.0698
Grade 9 × Girl −0.0488
Knowledge about pregnancy × Touching scale 0.0844
Beliefs about condoms × Touching scale 0.174**
Attitudes about condoms × Touching scale 0.0629
Negotiating skill × Sexting scale 0.117
Negotiating skill × Opportunity scale 0.000446
Refusal skill × Opportunity scale 0.102
Sexting scale × Ever been in a relationship −0.0299
Touching scale × Intent to have vaginal sex in next 12 months 0.0821
Opportunity scale × Kissing scale 0.0748
Grade 11 × In a serious relationship 0.344*
Kissing scale × Summer between baseline and follow-up 0.0699
Girl × Mother’s education: High school or less −0.0709*
Attracted to same-gender people × Online scale −0.323**
n 833 1,294 1,282
R squared 0.231 0.347 0.286
Share predicted correctly 0.801 0.812 0.846

Note: While not shown for brevity and clarity, two cluster variables were selected by lasso for initiation and one for recent sex.