Factors associated with Sexually Transmitted Infections among Korean Adolescents

Jungok Yu; Seoungmi Cha

doi:10.12799/jkachn.2017.28.4.431

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Yu and Cha: Factors associated with Sexually Transmitted Infections among Korean Adolescents

Original Article

Journal of Korean Academy of Community Health Nursing 2017; 28(4): 431-439.

Published online: 31 December 2017

DOI: https://doi.org/10.12799/jkachn.2017.28.4.431

Factors associated with Sexually Transmitted Infections among Korean Adolescents

Jungok Yu¹, Seoungmi Cha²

¹Department of Nursing, Dong-A University, Busan, Korea.

²Graduate School, Dong-A University, Busan, Korea.

Corresponding author: Yu, Jungok. Department of Nursing, Dong-A University, 32 Daesingongwon-ro, Seo-gu, Busan 49201, Korea. Tel: +82-51-240-2783, Fax: +82-51-240-2920, joyu@dau.ac.kr

Received 5 September 2017 Revised 10 November 2017 Accepted 14 November 2017

Korean Academy of Community Health Nursing

(open-access):

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine the factors influencing sexually transmitted infection (STI) in Korean adolescents 12 to 18 years.

Methods

Using statistics from 10-11th Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey, secondary analysis was conducted. The study sample consisted of 4,886 boys and 1,998 girls who had reported initiating sexual intercourse.

Results

The proportion of adolescents who had a sexually transmitted infection was 8.8% of boys and 11.0% of girls. In multiple regression analysis, grade, smoking, first intercourse before middle school, intercourse after drinking alcohol, living without family, large amounts of pocket money were factors associated with sexually transmitted infection for both boys and girls. Use of condom is related to STI contraction of boys only. Formal sex education was not associated with reducing risk of STI.

Conclusion

The results of this study show the factors associated with STI among Korean adolescents. Gender-related effective interventions should be taken into consideration in school-based sex education programs.

Keywords: Adolescent, Sexually transmitted diseases, Sexual and gender minorities, Sexual behavior

Figures and Tables

Table 1

General Characteristics of the Male Adolescents (N=4,886)

Variables	Categories	Prevalence	No STIs	STIs	χ²	p
Variables	Categories	%	n^† (%)^‡	n^† (%)^‡	χ²	p
Total		8.8	4,468 (100.0)	418 (100.0)
Grade	7th	5.6	468 (9.1)	23 (5.6)	45.60	<.001
	8th	13.2	349 (7.1)	50 (11.2)
	9th	14.8	463 (10.1)	82 (18.1)
	10th	9.4	696 (15.7)	68 (16.9)
	11th	7.8	1,019 (23.6)	81 (20.9)
	12th	7.1	1,473 (34.4)	114 (27.3)
Living with family	Yes	5.7	4,095 (92.1)	243 (57.6)	476.81	<.001
Living with family	No	34.0	373 (7.9)	175 (42.4)	476.81	<.001
Economic state	Low	13.0	1,032 (23.1)	156 (35.8)	40.76	<.001
	Middle	6.2	1,711 (37.7)	109 (25.9)
	High	8.6	1,725 (39.2)	153 (38.3)
Someone to talk about worry	Yes	8.3	3,405 (76.4)	299 (71.8)	4.52	.028
Someone to talk about worry	No	10.3	1,063 (23.6)	119 (28.2)	4.52	.028
Tobacco use	Yes	11.6	2,033 (46.4)	265 (63.1)	43.39	<.001
Tobacco use	No	6.2	2,435 (53.6)	153 (36.9)	43.39	<.001
Alcohol use	Yes	9.7	2,136 (47.0)	170 (40.6)	6.47	.013
Alcohol use	No	7.7	2,332 (53.0)	248 (59.4)	6.47	.013
Age at first sexual intercourse	≥7th grade	3.6	3,251 (75.5)	117 (29.2)	401.13	<.001
Age at first sexual intercourse	<7th grade	21.8	1,106 (24.5)	289 (70.8)	401.13	<.001
Condom use	No	11.4	2,756 (60.8)	339 (81.4)	70.64	<.001
Condom use	Yes	4.4	1,712 (39.2)	79 (18.6)	70.64	<.001
Intercourse after drinking	No	3.3	3,116 (69.5)	111 (25.0)	343.34	<.001
Intercourse after drinking	Yes	19.1	1,352 (30.5)	307 (75.0)	343.34	<.001
Type of sex partner	Bisexual	24.1	292 (6.5)	94 (21.4)	29,133.47	<.001
	Homosexual	30.8	337 (7.9)	151 (36.4)
	Heterosexual	4.5	3,839 (85.6)	173 (42.2)
Recent sex education	No	8.1	1,818 (41.5)	160 (37.8)	2.29	.169
Recent sex education	Yes	9.3	2,650 (58.5)	258 (62.2)	2.29	.169

STIs=sexually transmitted infections; ^†Unweighted; ^‡Weighted.

Table 2

General Characteristics of the Female Adolescents (N=1,998)

Variables	Categories	Prevalence	No STIs	STIs	χ²	p
Variables	Categories	%	n^† (%)^‡	n^† (%)^‡	χ²	p
Total		11.0	1,787 (100.0)	211 (100.0)
Grade	7th	1.4	250 (12.7)	4 (1.5)	64.57	<.001
	8th	14.8	174 (9.7)	27 (13.7)
	9th	23.3	194 (10.4)	49 (25.7)
	10th	10.6	241 (14.3)	32 (13.9)
	11th	8.8	387 (21.6)	33 (16.9)
	12th	10.1	541 (31.2)	66 (28.3)
Living with family	Yes	6.3	1,649 (91.9)	105 (50.0)	307.84	<.001
Living with family	No	43.1	138 (8.1)	106 (50.0)	307.84	<.001
Economic state	Low	14.4	554 (31.1)	88 (42.5)	26.20	<.001
	Middle	6.2	683 (37.4)	43 (20.2)
	High	12.7	550 (31.5)	80 (37.3)
Someone to talk about worry	Yes	9.1	1,522 (85.2)	146 (69.1)	36.18	<.001
Someone to talk about worry	No	20.4	265 (14.8)	65 (30.9)	36.18	<.001
Tobacco use	Yes	23.7	489 (27.5)	145 (69.2)	156.40	<.001
Tobacco use	No	5.0	1,298 (72.5)	66 (30.8)	156.40	<.001
Alcohol use	Yes	15.2	751 (43.0)	133 (62.8)	30.79	<.001
Alcohol use	No	7.4	1,036 (57.0)	78 (37.2)	30.79	<.001
Age at first sexual intercourse	≥7th grade	4.2	1,266 (73.4)	56 (26.1)	195.52	<.001
Age at first sexual intercourse	<7th grade	25.5	467 (26.6)	150 (73.9)	195.52	<.001
Condom use	No	12.9	1,186 (65.1)	161 (78.3)	15.11	<.001
Condom use	Yes	7.1	601 (34.9)	50 (21.7)	15.11	<.001
Intercourse after drinking	No	2.6	1,322 (73.6)	37 (15.8)	296.52	<.001
Intercourse after drinking	Yes	28.2	465 (26.4)	174 (84.2)	296.52	<.001
Type of sex partner	Bisexual	25.9	118 (6.6)	42 (18.8)	8,561.92	<.001
	Homosexual	33.7	181 (9.9)	86 (40.9)
	Heterosexual	5.6	1,488 (83.5)	83 (40.3)
Recent sex education	No	10.6	562 (31.7)	68 (30.4)	0.15	.680
Recent sex education	Yes	11.2	1,225 (68.3)	143 (69.6)	0.15	.680

STIs=sexually transmitted infections; ^†Unweighted; ^‡Weighted.

Table 3

Factors Associated with Sexually Transmitted Infections

Variables		Male adolescents		Female adolescents
Variables		aOR	CI	aOR	CI
Age at first intercourse	<7th grade	4.28	3.08~5.94	4.83	3.00~7.76
Age at first intercourse	≥7th grade	1	3.08~5.94	1	3.00~7.76
Use of condom	No	1.76	1.32~2.35	1.08	0.71~1.64
Use of condom	Yes	1	1.32~2.35	1.08	0.71~1.64
Intercourse after drinking	Yes	4.35	3.32~5.70	4.69	2.91~7.55
Intercourse after drinking	No	1	3.32~5.70	1	2.91~7.55
Type of sex partner	Bisexual	2.37	1.69~3.32	1.72	0.99~3.01
	Homosexual	3.67	2.61~5.16	1.57	0.99~2.48
	Heterosexual	1	2.61~5.16	1.57	0.99~2.48
Grade	12th grade	1.47	0.81~2.67	7.12	2.09~24.23
	11th grade	1.19	0.63~2.27	6.11	1.75~21.29
	10th grade	1.37	0.76~2.47	3.96	1.16~13.55
	9th grade	1.62	0.86~3.02	11.39	3.39~38.19
	8th grade	1.91	1.09~3.33	6.04	1.86~19.53
	7th grade	1	1.09~3.33	1	1.86~19.53
Living with family	No	3.48	2.68~4.51	2.58	1.69~3.95
Living with family	Yes	1	2.68~4.51	1	1.69~3.95
Economic status	Low	1.12	0.82~1.52	0.89	0.56~1.42
	Middle	0.99	0.74~1.32	0.77	0.49~1.25
	High	1	0.74~1.32	1	0.49~1.25
Someone to talk about worry	No	0.97	0.75~1.26	1.09	0.72~1.64
Someone to talk about worry	Yes	1	0.75~1.26	1	0.72~1.64
Tobacco use	Yes	1.74	1.24~2.44	2.42	1.66~3.53
Tobacco use	No	1	1.24~2.44	1	1.66~3.53
Alcohol use	Yes	1.12	0.81~1.56	1.15	0.75~1.76
Alcohol use	No	1	0.81~1.56	1	0.75~1.76

aOR=adjusted odds ratio; CI=Confidence interval.

Notes

This study was supported by Dong-A university research grant.

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