Abstract

CASTRO, Ángel; BERMUDEZ, Ma Paz; BUELA-CASAL, Gualberto  and  MADRID, Juan. Psychosocial variables related to sexual debut in adolescents in Spain. rev.latinoam.psicol. [online]. 2011, vol.43, n.1, pp.83-94. ISSN 0120-0534.

The aim of this study was to analyze variables that are related to sexual debut in adolescents in Spain. Participants were 2.153 adolescents who lived in Spain. Ages ranged from 14 to 19 years old. Of them, 67.7% were native Spanish and 32.3% were Latin American immigrants. 19.2% of adolescents had never had any sexual contact; 47.3% had had sexual activities without penetration and 33.5% reported sexual intercourse experience. A multinomial logistic regression analysis was performed to compare these three groups of adolescents. According to that analysis, positive attitudes towards condom use predicted sexual activities without penetration. Likewise, personal and scholar adaptation and positive attitudes towards condom use predicted sexual intercourse experience. Subsequently, a binomial logistic regression analysis was performed. This analysis showed that Latin American adolescents, females, those adolescents who were more adapted in the personal area as well as those who had less self-efficacy towards condom use, had a higher likelihood of having had sexual intercourse experience. In the discussion section, relevance of age at first sexual intercourse as a key factor for sexual risk behaviour engagement is highlighted.

Keywords : sexual debut; adolescents; sexual risk behavior; latinamericans; psychosocial variables.

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