ArticlePloS one2020
Individual and social determinants of early sexual activity: A study of gender-based differences using the 2018 Canadian Health Behaviour in School-aged Children Study (HBSC).
Article in PloS one, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 26 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
26 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 51 citations in OpenAlex.
- Pooled it
- Problematic Sexual Behavior Among Children: A Meta-Analysis of Demographic and Clinical Correlates.Research on child and adolescent psychopathology · 2025Pooled it
- Age at first sexual intercourse and frailty: Mendelian randomization and population-based evidence from NHANES and UK Biobank.Sexual medicine · 2026Article
- Timing of Sexual Initiation in Polish Adolescents: A Multilevel Study of Individual, Family, and Contextual Determinants.Archives of sexual behavior · 2026Article
- A comparative study on the intensity of loneliness among Kenyan youth in school and home environments.Global mental health (Cambridge, England) · 2026Article
- Article
- Universal Pharmacare and Contraceptive Dispensations Among Youth.JAMA pediatrics · 2025Article
- Socioeconomic/health-related factors associated with HPV vaccination initiation/completion among females of paediatric age: A systematic review with meta-analysis.Public health in practice (Oxford, England) · 2025Review
- Factors associated with early sexual onset and delaying sex in rural middle school youth.The Journal of rural health : official journal of the American Rural Health Association and the National Rural Health Care Association · 2025Article
- Article
- Filtering reality: Navigating Instagram's influence on adolescent mental health.Journal of education and health promotion · 2025Review
- Association between different types of smoking and first sexual behavior in adolescents: Survey data from South Korea.Tobacco induced diseases · 2025Article
- Associations of Parents-Adolescent Relationship with Adolescent Sexual Risk Behaviors: A Global Analysis Based on 156,649 School-Going Adolescents from 50 Countries.International journal of sexual health : official journal of the World Association for Sexual Health · 2024Article
- A Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Comprehensive Sexuality Education Programs on Children and Adolescents.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Review
- Factors Associated with Early Sexual Activity in Adolescents Residing in an Urban Area of Northeastern Mexico Who Use WhatsApp or Facebook.Journal of community health · 2023Article
- Trends in Early Sexual Initiation and Its Association with Socio-Environmental Factors among Korean Adolescents.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Association between early sexual initiation and sexually transmitted infections among Peruvian reproductive-age women.Frontiers in public health · 2023Article
- The Use of Social Media in Children and Adolescents: Scoping Review on the Potential Risks.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- Sexual behaviors at home and abroad: an online survey of Canadian young adult travelers.BMC public health · 2022Article
- Depressive Symptoms and Their Associated Factors in Vocational-Technical School Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
introductionEarly sexual activity, often defined as initiation before the age of 16, is a risk behaviour associated with negative health outcomes in adulthood. The objective of this study was to explore links between early sexual activity and individual and contextual characteristics in Canadian youth, and whether these differ for girls and boys.
methodsData were from the 2018 Canadian Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey administered in classrooms across Canada to students in grades 6 to 10 (ages 11 to 16). The sample includes the 7882 students in grades 9 and 10 who were asked about sexual activity. Individual and contextual measures used included emotional well-being, socioeconomic status, participation in team sports, body image, social media use, family structure, and family support. Descriptive data overall and separately for girls and boys are presented, followed by Poisson regression models to estimate relative risks and associated 95% confidence intervals for strength of associations between characteristics and early sexual activity. Models were adjusted for clustering by school using generalised estimating equations.
resultsOverall, contextual factors i.e. disrupted family structure or low family support were the characteristics most strongly associated with early sexual activity. Among boys there was an incremental and strong relationship between hours spent in organised sport and early sexual activity. Among girls, poorer body image, lower socioeconomic status, and higher social media use aligned most strongly with early sexual activity.
conclusionPersistent gender stereotypes appear to underlie differences in individual and contextual factors associated with adolescents' sexual behaviour. Findings from this exploratory analysis may be of benefit to subsequent researchers, policy makers and those who care for youth.
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