TY - JOUR
T1 - Macro-level age norms for the timing of sexual initiation and adolescents' early sexual initiation in 17 European countries
AU - Madkour, Aubrey Spriggs
AU - de Looze, Margaretha
AU - Ma, Ping
AU - Halpern, Carolyn Tucker
AU - Farhat, Tilda
AU - Bogt, Tom F. M. ter
AU - Ehlinger, Virginie
AU - Nic Gabhainn, Saoirse
AU - Currie, Candace
AU - Godeau, Emmanuelle
N1 - Copyright © 2014 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. All rights reserved.
PY - 2014/7
Y1 - 2014/7
N2 - Purpose: To examine the relationship between country-level age norms for sexual initiation timing and early sexual initiation (ESI) among adolescent boys and girls. Methods: Nationally representative data from 17 countries that participated in the 2006/2007 European Social Survey (ESS-3, n = 33,092) and the 2005/2006 Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children Study (HBSC, n = 27,702) were analyzed. Age norms were measured as the average country-level response to an item asking the age at which ESS respondents believed someone is too young to have sexual intercourse. HBSC respondents (aged 14–16 years) self-reported age at sexual initiation, which we defined as early (<15 years) or not early (≥15 years or no initiation). Control variables included age, family affluence, perceived socioeconomic status, family living arrangement, substance use, school attachment, and country-level legal age of consent. Multivariable three-level logistic models with random intercepts were run separately by sex. Results In multivariable analyses, higher overall age norms were associated with reduced likelihood of ESI among girls (AOR .60, 95% CI .45–.79); associations with ESI were stronger for parent cohort (ages 31–65 years) norms (AOR .37, 95% CI .23–.58) than for peer cohort (ages 15–20 years) norms (AOR .60, 95% CI .49–.74). For boys, overall norms were also significantly negatively associated with ESI (AOR .68, 95% CI .46–.99), as were parent cohort norms (AOR .66, 95% CI .45–.96). Peer cohort norms were not significantly related to boys' ESI. Conclusion: Macrolevel cultural norms may impact adolescents' sexual initiation timing. Research exploring the sexual health outcomes of early initiators in countries with contrasting age norms is warranted.
AB - Purpose: To examine the relationship between country-level age norms for sexual initiation timing and early sexual initiation (ESI) among adolescent boys and girls. Methods: Nationally representative data from 17 countries that participated in the 2006/2007 European Social Survey (ESS-3, n = 33,092) and the 2005/2006 Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children Study (HBSC, n = 27,702) were analyzed. Age norms were measured as the average country-level response to an item asking the age at which ESS respondents believed someone is too young to have sexual intercourse. HBSC respondents (aged 14–16 years) self-reported age at sexual initiation, which we defined as early (<15 years) or not early (≥15 years or no initiation). Control variables included age, family affluence, perceived socioeconomic status, family living arrangement, substance use, school attachment, and country-level legal age of consent. Multivariable three-level logistic models with random intercepts were run separately by sex. Results In multivariable analyses, higher overall age norms were associated with reduced likelihood of ESI among girls (AOR .60, 95% CI .45–.79); associations with ESI were stronger for parent cohort (ages 31–65 years) norms (AOR .37, 95% CI .23–.58) than for peer cohort (ages 15–20 years) norms (AOR .60, 95% CI .49–.74). For boys, overall norms were also significantly negatively associated with ESI (AOR .68, 95% CI .46–.99), as were parent cohort norms (AOR .66, 95% CI .45–.96). Peer cohort norms were not significantly related to boys' ESI. Conclusion: Macrolevel cultural norms may impact adolescents' sexual initiation timing. Research exploring the sexual health outcomes of early initiators in countries with contrasting age norms is warranted.
KW - adolescent
KW - adolescent Behavior
KW - adult
KW - age distribution
KW - aged
KW - coitus
KW - cross-Cultural comparison
KW - cross-Sectional Studies
KW - educational Status
KW - Europe
KW - multi-level modelling
U2 - 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2013.12.008
DO - 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2013.12.008
M3 - Article
VL - 55
SP - 114
EP - 121
JO - Journal of Adolescent Health
JF - Journal of Adolescent Health
SN - 1054-139X
IS - 1
ER -