The findings of this study were limited by several factors. We used an existing dataset designed to explore alcohol dependence and not sexual debut. As a result, there were a number of psychosocial factors that this study did not examine, including family structure and/or support and relationships with friends, intimate partners, and peers, which may have had an impact on participants' initiation of sexual intercourse. Previous studies have linked parental alcohol dependence with problematic parenting behaviors, including inadequate child monitoring and discipline (Loukas, Fitzgerald, Zucker, & von Eye, 2001; Patterson, 1982; Patterson & Capaldi, 1991) and these potential confounders were not assessed in the present study. As well, participants' current income and educational status were not included in the analyses because these variables correspond with indications of socioeconomic status following sexual debut for the majority of participants. For instance, 75% of the sample had experienced sexual debut before age 18, which means that a high school diploma would not be an appropriate predictor of sexual debut. Because of the ascertainment procedures, we did not know which comparison participants had a
