Grant: Project Grant

Having a strong connection with a romantic partner is a greater predictor of mortality than smoking, alcohol consumption, and obesity, suggesting that close relationships are the cornerstone of life expectancy. Yet 50% of marriages end in divorce, over 30% of long-term couples report significant relationship distress, and 50% of individuals report being dissatisfied with the sexual aspects of their relationship. Despite the high prevalence of relationship and sexual problems and the threat that they pose for long-term morbidity and mortality, our understanding of what fosters or hinders the development of satisfying romantic and sexual relationships remains extremely limited. The transition from adolescence to adulthood provides the ideal window for identifying emerging romantic relationship and sexual problems and preventing their crystallization. The present proposal leverages our ongoing cohort of 2904 adolescents, followed from ages 14-15 to 17-18, with the overarching goal of gathering novel data concerning late adolesecents' intimate relationships and sexual health over time as they transition to adulthood. Specific objectives are to examine the effects of (1) childhood victimization, i.e., child maltreatment, bullying and witnessing interparental violence, as risk factors, and (2) social support, intimacy and attachment as protective factors, on intimate relationships (relationship satisfaction, dating violence victimization) and sexual health (sexual function, sexual satisfaction and sexual distress) during the transition from adolescence to emerging adulthood in participants aged 18 through 22. We will also (3) test these associations in the sexual and gender minority subgroup. Our 2904 participants will complete online questionnaires at 6-month interval data collection waves over 4 years. Findings may contribute to the prevention of relationship distress and sexual problems and their associated negative consequences on Canadians' health and longevity.