Journal List > Korean J Androl > v.29(2) > 1033071

Kim, Park, Park, and Yun: Factors Associated with the Timing of First Sexual Intercourse Among College Students in Busan, Korea

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to predict when college students in Korea have their first sexual intercourse and to explore the factors associated with the timing of first sexual intercourse.

Materials and Methods

Data are collected by using self-report survey toward total 797 of male and female college students who are currently attending the college in Busan, Korea. Students were divided by four groups according to their age of timing of first sexual intercourse, <16 years, between 16 to under 19, over 19 years and non-experienced. To examine the difference of four groups, Chi-square test and ANOVA (analysis of variance) were used. For estimation of the timing of first sexual intercourse we used Kaplan-Meier estimation and for differences of each group we used log-rank test. To identify the factors associated with the timing of first sexual intercourse we used Cox proportional hazards model.

Results

41.4% of college students have experienced sexual intercourse. Of four groups the early sexual intercourse group (<16 years) had high rate of cigarette smoking, alcohol drinking, drug use, open sexual attitude, and a high number of sex partner. The factors associated with the timing of first sexual intercourse among college students was identified male, open parents attitude about sex, pornography experiences, cigarette smoking, alcohol drinking.

Conclusions

This study predicts the timing of first sexual intercourse among college students in Korea. Early sexual debut is an important indicator for continued risk behavior regarding reproductive health.

REFERENCES

1). Seidman SN, Mosher WO, Aral SD. Predictors of high-risk behavior and drug involvement. Journal of Marriage and the Family. 1994; 52:783–98.
2). Tenkorang EY, Maticka-Tyndale E. Factors influencing the timing of first sexual intercourse among young people in Nyanza, Kenya. Int Fam Plan Perspect. 2008; 34:177–88.
crossref
3). Kim DS, Kim HS. Early initiation of alcohol drinking, cigarette smoking, and sexual intercourse linked to suicidal ideation and attempts: findings from the 2006 Korean Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Yonsei Med J. 2010; 51:18–26.
crossref
4). Han KS, Ham MY. A study on knowledge, attitude and experience of college students toward sexual behavior. Journal of Korean Academy Society Nursing Education. 2000; 6:115–31.
5). Lee JJ, Lee CW, Woo BW. Youth risk behavior survey of students at a university in Daegu metropolitan city. Korean J Public Health. 2003; 29:106–17.
6). Woo NS, Ka YH. A study on the sexual knowledge, sexual attitudes, and sexual behavior of Korean and American college students. Journal of Korean Academy Psychiatric. 2005; 10:113–33.
7). Yang SO, Jeong GH. Perceptional difference of sexual image and sexual role between male and female students in university, Korea. Korean J Women Health Nurs. 2002; 8:289–300.
crossref
8). Kang HY. A study on the Characteristics of Sexual Knowledge, Attitudes, Behaviors and Variables Forecasting Sexual Intercourse of University Students. Unpublished master's thesis,. Seoul: Sungkonghoe University;2007.
9). Jeon GS, Lee HY, Rhee SJ. Sexual knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of Korea college students and effects of sexual education on sexual knowledge and attitudes. Korean Society for Health Education and Promotion. 2004; 21:45–68.
10). Sohn AR, Chun SS. Comparing sexual attitude, sexual initiation and sexual behavior by gender in Korean college students. Health and Medical Sociology. 2005; 18:73–100.
11). Ahn S, Park I, Han JS, Kim TI, Kwak MS, Chung HS. Health behaviors, reproductive health history, and sexual behaviors of college students. Korean J Women Health Nurs. 2008; 14:205–12.
crossref
12). Seidman SN, Mosher WD, Aral SO. Predictors of high-risk behavior in unmarried American women: adolescent environment as risk factor. J Adolesc Health. 1994; 15:126–32.
crossref

Fig. 1.
Rate of the intercourse-unexperienced according to gender.
kja-29-134f1.tif
Fig. 2.
Sexual intercourse free survival according to risk behaviors; (A) smoking, (B) alcohol drinking, and (C) drug use.
kja-29-134f2.tif
Table 1.
Selected characteristics of students participating in the study, by gender (N=797)
Characteristics Total N=797 Males n=512 Females n=285 χ2 or t p
Demographic
 Age
  <19 19∼24 36 (4.5) 646 (81.1) 21 (4.1) 383 (74.8) 15 (5.3) 263 (92.3) 51.521 <.001
  25∼29 115 (14.4) 108 (21.1) 7 (2.5)
  Mean Age (SD) 21.60 (2.54) 22.39 (2.65) 20.19 (1.53) 14.826 <.001
  (Min, Max) (17, 29) (17, 29) (17, 29)
  Religion No 450 (56.7) 299 (58.6) 151 (53.2) 2.213 .156
  Yes 344 (43.3) 211 (41.4) 133 (46.8)
 Socioeconomic status of family
  High 29 (3.7) 19 (3.7) 10 (3.5)
  Middle 692 (87.5) 436 (85.8) 256 (90.5) 4.490 .110
  Low 70 (8.8) 53 (10.4) 17 (6.0)
 Parents living
  Yes 740 (93.3) 479 (93.7) 264 (92.6) .335 .657
  No 53 (6.7) 32 (6.3) 21 (7.4)
 Sexual attitude of parents
  Conservative 480 (60.6) 271 (53.0) 209 (73.6)
  Neutrality 229 (28.8) 171 (33.5) 58 (20.4) 33.092 <.001
  Liberal 86 (10.8) 69 (13.5) 17 (6.0)
  Pornography
  Exposures 599 (77.3) 451 (90.6) 148 (53.4) 139.824 <.001
  Non-exposures 176 (22.7) 47 (9.4) 129 (46.6)
 Sex-related characteristics
  Ever had sex
  No 467 (58.6) 220 (43.0) 247 (86.7) 144.100 <.001
  Yes 330 (41.4) 292 (57.0) 38 (13.3)
  First Sexual Intercourse (age) 19.99 (2.43) 20.01 (2.82) 19.96 (1.54) .316 .752
 First Sexual Intercourse
  Middle teen (<16) 27 (3.4) 25 (4.9) 2 (0.7)
  Late teen (≥16, <19) 98 (12.3) 86 (16.8) 12 (4.2) 144.324 <.001
  Adult (≥19) 205 (25.7) 181 (35.4) 24 (8.4)
  Inexperienced 467 (58.6) 220 (43.0) 247 (86.7)
  Sexually transmitted disease
  Yes 22 (6.7) 20 (6.9) 2 (5.3) .140 1.000∗
  No 307 (93.3) 271 (93.1) 36 (94.7)
 Contraception
  Always 148 (18.6) 132 (25.8) 16 (5.6)
  Sometimes 135 (16.9) 118 (23.0) 17 (6.0) 132.919 <.001
  Never 37 (4.6) 32 (6.3) 5 (1.8)
  NA 477 (59.8) 230 (44.9) 247 (86.7)
  Sexual knowledge, Mean (SD) 66.14 (16.05) 64.48 (16.70) 69.14 (14.37) −3.965 <.001
  Sexual attitude, Mean (SD) 64.80 (7.90) 66.62 (7.63) 61.53 (7.31) 9.161 <.001
  Sex partners, Mean (SD) 7.23 (16.49) 7.86 (17.39) 2.67 (4.88) 3.857 <.001
Risk behavior
  Smoking
  Yes 221 (28.0) 199 (39.5) 22 (7.7) 90.667 <.001
  No 567 (72.0) 305 (60.5) 262 (92.3)
  Alcohol drinking
  Yes 650 (82.2) 422 (83.4) 228 (80.0) 1.438 .230
  No 141 (17.8) 84 (16.6) 57 (20.0)
 Drug use
  Yes 5 (0.6) 4 (0.8) 1 (0.4) .559 .659∗
  No 784 (99.4) 501 (99.2) 283 (99.6)    
  ∗Fisher's exact test.
Table 2.
Chi-square test and ANOVA results for subjects group ped by the timing of first sexual intercourse
Characteristics Middle teen (<16) n (%) Late teen (≥16, <19) n (%) Adult (≥19) n (%) Inexperienced n (%) χ2 or F p Scheffe
Risk behaviors
 Smoking
  Yes 23 (85.2) 60 (61.2) 79 (38.5) 59 (12.9) 160.508 <.001
  No 4 (14.8) 38 (38.8) 126 (61.5) 399 (87.1)
  Yes 24 (88.9) 89 (90.8) 182 (88.8) 355 (77.0) 20.340 <.001
  No 3 (11.1) 9 (9.2) 23 (11.2) 106 (23.0)
 Drug use
  Yes 1 (3.7) 2 (2.0) 1 (0.5) 1 (0.2) 7.706∗ ∗ .029
  No 26 (96.3) 96 (98.0) 204 (99.5) 458 (99.8)
Sex-related factors
  Sexual knowledge, Mean (SD) 58.73 (22.61) 68.10 (13.03) 65.93 (16.17) 66.25 (16.05) 2.439 .063
  Sexual attitude, Mean (SD) 70.18a (8.56) 68.23a (8.76) 68.16a (7.27) 62.29b (6.92) 44.649 <.001 a>b
  Number of sex partners, Mean (SD) 35.25a (43.50) 6.34b (7.80) 2.87b (3.36) NA 153.465 <.001 a>b
 Sexually Transmitted Disease
  Yes 2 (7.4) 12 (12.2) 8 (3.9) NA 7.374 .022
  No 25 (92.6) 86 (87.8) 196 (96.1) NA

∗Fisher's exact test.

Table 3.
The estimator of timing of first sexual intercourse by Kaplan-Meier estimation
  Total Log-rank test statistic p
    Median(SE) 95% CI
Gender
  Male 21.00 (0.23) (20.53, 21.46) 90.78 <.001
  Female NA NA
Religion
  No 23.00 (0.51) (22.00, 24.00) 1.34 .246
  Yes 24.00 (0.88) (22.26, 25.74)
Socioeconomic status of family
  High 22.00 (2.37) (17.35, 26.64) 2.33 .311
  Middle 23.00 (0.46) (22.09, 23.91)
  Low 22.00 (0.79) (20.43, 23.56)
Parents living
  Yes 23.00 (0.46) (22.10, 23.90) 2.87 .090
  No 21.00 (1.05) (18.92, 23.07)
Sexual attitude of parents
  Conservative 24.00 (0.90) (22.24, 25.75)
  Neutrality 23.00 (0.71) (21.59, 24.40) 50.08 <.001
  Liberal 20.00 (0.33) (19.33, 20.66)
Pornography
  Exposures 22.00 (0.42) (21.17, 22.82) 44.72 <.001
  Non-exposures NA NA
Smoking
  Yes 19.00 (0.25) (18.50, 19.49) 133.245 <.001
  No 25.00 (0.71) (23.59, 26.40)
Alcohol drinking
  Yes 22.00 (0.41) (21.19, 22.80) 24.65 <.001
  No 26.00 (1.51) (23.03, 28.96)
Drug use
  Yes 18.00 (2.19) (13.70, 22.29) 8.77 .003
  No 23.00 (0.42) (22.16, 23.84)  

SE: standard error, CI: confidence interval.

Table 4.
Cox proportional hazards model for timing of first sexual intercourse
  HR (95% CI)
Age 1.017 (0.969, 1.067)
Male 2.518 (1.710, 3.707)
Sexual attitude of parents
  Neutrality 1.155 (0.898, 1.486)
  Liberal 1.753 (1.283, 2.395)
  Experience with pornography 1.809 (1.196, 2.735)
Smoker 1.958 (1.535, 2.498)
Alcohol drinker 1.787 (1.222, 2.615)

HR: hazard ratio, CI: confidence interval.

TOOLS
Similar articles