The European Journal of Public Health Advance Access originally published online on February 22, 2005
The European Journal of Public Health 2005 15(2):185-194; doi:10.1093/eurpub/cki121
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Reproductive Health |
Social class, gender and psychosocial predictors for early sexual debut among 16 year olds in Oslo
Ann-K. Valle1, Leila Torgersen2, Espen Røysamb3, Knut-Inge Klepp4 and Dag S. Thelle5
Section of Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology, Department of General Practice and Community Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway
Norwegian Social Research, Oslo, Norway
Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Norway
Institute for Nutrition Research, University of Oslo, Norway
Sahlgrenska University hospital, Department of Medicine, Göteborg, Sweden
Correspondence: Ann-K. Valle, Department of General Practice and Community Medicine, University of Oslo, P.O.Box 1130 Blindern, NO-0318 Oslo, Norway, tel. +47 22 85 06 25, fax +47 22 85 06 20Email: a.k.valle{at}samfunnsmed.uio.no and Akershus University College, Email: ann-karin.valle{at}hiak.no
Background: Variations in early sexual debut among 16 year olds were investigated by social level variables, parental occupation, gender, ethnicity, family structure, family functioning, and individual level variables, future aspirations, academic and social self-perception, and depressed moods. Methods: The variations in sexual debut were investigated by examining proportions of 16 year olds reporting their first intercourse before age 16. The data were collected by self-reporting questionnaires administered to in-school-youth, in Oslo. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to test for associations. Gender interactions with all variables were tested. Results: Overall, 25% reported early debut. Independent effect of social class on differences in proportions in early sexual debut were found. Gender interaction with social class, ethnicity and academic self-perception as they associate to proportions having had early sexual debut, were found. For girls the pattern of social class differences was linear and the highest proportions were found among working classes. For boys the pattern was U-shaped and upper managerial and manual working class youth had similar, higher proportions of early debutants. High scores of parental monitoring, future aspirations and academic self-concept and low scores of depressed moods, are protective factors. While high social self-perception is positively associated with early debut for both genders. Conclusion: Early sexual debut varies according to social class, following gender-specific patterns, among 16 year olds in Oslo. The negative association between early debut and academic self-perception are for boys less influenced by other social and individual level factors, than for girls.
Keywords: Adolescence, gender, sexual debut, social class
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