The Risk Factors of Sexual Behavior Among Middle School Students in South Korea

Abstract

Understanding sexual intercourse among adolescents is an important public health issue. To establish the risk factors of coitus among youth, we use 11th Korea Youth Risk Behaviour Web-based Survey data. Participants were completed a questionnaire on sexual behaviour, alcohol consumption, smoking, mental health, physical activity, weight management, health equity, and others. Among boys, coitus experience was higher in boys-only schools than in mixed-sex schools; conversely, in girls, coitus experience was higher in mixed-sex schools than in girls-only schools. High economic status, having step-parents, consuming alcohol or tobacco, low sex education, and low happiness scores were associated with coitus in boys, while the factors in girls were consuming alcohol or tobacco, low body mass index, low happiness score, and low academic performance. Boys with high economic status should be regarded as high risk, and mental health appears important for sexual health in both boys and girls.