(PS8-A12) Correlates of Familial Conflict in College Going Latinx Emerging Adults

The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted familial relationships between parents and college going emerging adults (Hall & Zygmunt, 2021). These tensions associated with being in close proximity during lockdown have contributed to detrimental effects on emerging adults’ mental health (Hall & Zygmunt, 2021). However, behavioral outcomes of familial conflict (e.g., sexual risk taking) post pandemic have not been assessed. Past studies have associated family conflict with increased sexual risk in adolescents but not emerging adults (Anyanwu et al., 2020). Familial conflict may still be related to sexual risk behaviors, as emerging adulthood is a period of identity exploration which may contribute to increased tension (Arnett, 2000). Moreover, sexual minorities may also exhibit high rates of familial conflict during lockdown as they are more likely to experience discord with caregivers (Roberts et al., 2012). This study assessed how familial conflict may associate with sexual risk behaviors and sexual orientation in emerging adults post COVID.

Self-identified Latinx college students (n=304) from a Hispanic Serving Institution (M_age= 19.75 years, SD = 1.73; 79.3% female) were recruited via SONA, a web-based recruitment system. After signing an electronic consent form, participants completed the following measures: sociodemographics; Family Conflict Scale (FCS); Sexual Risk Survey (SRS). Linear regression models assessed the relationships between FCS subscales, SRS subscales, and demographics.

Results indicated that the linear regression model predicting FCS likelihood was statistically significant (F(8,260)=4.714, p< .001). The likelihood of family conflict was positively associated with impulsive sex acts (β=.285, p< .001) and sexual orientation (β=.201, p< .001) in which heterosexual orientation served as the reference group. FCS likelihood was also negatively associated with age (β=-.141, p=.023). The linear regression model predicting FCS seriousness was statistically significant (F(8,232)=4.967, p< .001). The seriousness of family conflict was positively associated with impulsive sex acts (β=.258, p=.002) and sexual orientation (β=.236, p< .001). Lastly, FCS likelihood was negatively associated with age (β=-.136, p=.036).

Those who reported increased familial conflict also reported higher rates of impulsive sex acts. This indicates that engaging in impulsive sex may be a maladaptive way of coping with familial conflict (Ghobadzadeh et al., 2019). That sexual orientation was also positively associated with familial conflict implies that tension surrounding sexual orientation may have been a contributing factor to familial conflict (Roberts et al., 2012). Lastly, that familial conflict was negatively associated with age suggests that older emerging adults may be better at navigating familial discord (Eccles, 2009; Hall & Zygmunt, 2021). Prospective studies should assess temporality between familial conflict and impulsive sex in addition to identifying protective factors for sexual minority emerging adults experiencing familial tension. Moreover, future studies should also determine how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted emerging adults’ self-efficacy for other detrimental behaviors