DECIPHer, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3BD, UK.
Discipline of Health Promotion, School of Health Sciences, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland.
BMC Public Health. 2018 Mar 16;18(1):362. doi: 10.1186/s12889-018-5217-z.
The need to tackle sexual health problems and promote positive sexual health has been acknowledged in Irish health policy. Young people's sexual behaviour however remains under-researched with limited national data available.
This study presents the first nationally representative and internationally comparable data on young people's sexual health behaviours in Ireland. Self-complete questionnaire data were collected from 4494 schoolchildren aged 15-18 years as part of a broader examination of health behaviour and their context. The prevalence of sexual initiation, very early sexual initiation (< 14 years) and non-condom use at last intercourse are reported and used as outcomes in separate multilevel logistic regression models examining associations between sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle characteristics and young people's sexual behaviours.
Overall, 25.7% of boys and 21.2% of girls were sexually initiated. Older age was consistently predictive of initiation for both boys and girls, as were alcohol, tobacco and cannabis involvement, living in poorer neighbourhoods and having good communication with friends. Involvement in music and drama was protective. Very early sexual initiation (< 14 years) was reported by 22.8% of sexually initiated boys and 13.4% of sexually initiated girls, and was consistently associated with rural living, cannabis involvement and bullying others for both. Boys' very early initiation was predicted by alcohol involvement, receiving unhealthy food from parents and taking medication for psychological symptoms, whereas better communication with friends and more experience of negative health symptoms were protective. Girls' very early initiation was predicted by being bullied and belonging to a non-Traveller community, whereas taking medication for physical symptoms and attending regular health checks was protective. Condom use was reported by 80% of sexually initiated students at last intercourse. Boys' condom use was associated with older age, higher family affluence, bullying others, more frequent physical activity and health protective behaviours. For girls, condom use was predicted by belonging to a non-Traveller community, healthy food consumption, higher quality of life and being bullied, whereas taking medication for physical and psychological symptoms was associated with non-condom use.
These nationally representative research findings highlight the importance of focusing on young people as a distinct population subgroup with unique influences on their sexual health requiring targeted interventions and policy.
爱尔兰卫生政策已经认识到需要解决性健康问题并促进积极的性健康。然而，年轻人的性行为仍然研究不足，可用的全国性数据有限。
本研究提供了爱尔兰年轻人性健康行为的首个具有全国代表性和国际可比性的数据。作为对健康行为及其背景的更广泛检查的一部分，从 4494 名 15-18 岁的学童那里收集了自我完成的问卷数据。报告了性初潮、过早性初潮（<14 岁）和最近一次性行为时不使用避孕套的流行率，并在单独的多水平逻辑回归模型中用作社会人口特征、生活方式特征与年轻人性行为之间关联的结果。
总体而言，25.7%的男孩和 21.2%的女孩已经开始性行为。对于男孩和女孩来说，年龄较大是开始性行为的一致预测因素，还有饮酒、吸烟和大麻使用、居住在较贫困的社区以及与朋友有良好的沟通。参与音乐和戏剧具有保护作用。报告有 22.8%的性初潮男孩和 13.4%的性初潮女孩过早开始性行为，且与农村生活、大麻使用和欺负他人都有关。男孩的过早开始性行为与饮酒、从父母那里获得不健康的食物和因心理症状而服用药物有关，而与朋友的良好沟通和更多经历负面健康症状具有保护作用。女孩的过早开始性行为与被欺负和属于非旅行者社区有关，而服用药物治疗身体症状和定期进行健康检查则具有保护作用。在最近一次性行为中，80%的性初潮学生报告使用了避孕套。男孩使用避孕套与年龄较大、家庭富裕程度较高、欺负他人、更频繁的体育活动和健康保护行为有关。对于女孩来说，避孕套的使用与不属于旅行者社区、健康饮食、更高的生活质量和被欺负有关，而因身体和心理症状而服用药物则与不使用避孕套有关。
这些具有全国代表性的研究结果强调了将年轻人作为具有独特影响其性健康的特定人群亚组进行关注的重要性，需要有针对性的干预措施和政策。
