Risky sexual behaviour among Russian adolescents: association with internalizing and externalizing symptoms

Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health

Caroline Westermark¹  Vladislav Ruchkin²  Johan Isaksson³  Roman A. Koposov⁴  Andrew Stickley⁵ 

[1] Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Uppsala University, 751 85, Uppsala, Sweden;Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Uppsala University, 751 85, Uppsala, Sweden;Child Study Centre, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA;Säter Psychiatric Clinic, Säter, Sweden;Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Uppsala University, 751 85, Uppsala, Sweden;Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Pediatric Neuropsychiatry Unit, Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders at Karolinska Institutet (KIND), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden;Regional Centre for Child and Youth Mental Health and Child Welfare, UiT-The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsö, Norway;Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia;The Stockholm Center for Health and Social Change (SCOHOST), Södertörn University, Huddinge, Sweden;Department of Preventive Intervention for Psychiatric Disorders, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan;

关键词: Internalizing symptoms;    Externalizing symptoms;    Risky sexual behaviour;    Adolescents;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s13034-021-00393-3

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundRisky sexual behaviour (RSB) is regarded as a major health problem during adolescence. Russia has one of the highest rates of teenage pregnancy, abortion and newly diagnosed HIV infections in the world, but research on RSB in Russian youth has been limited. To address this deficit, this study examined the role of several factors, including internalizing and externalizing symptoms, in RSB among Russian adolescents.MethodsSelf-reported data were collected from 2573 Russian adolescents aged 13–17 years old (59.4 % girls; Mean age = 14.89) regarding RSB (unprotected sex, early pregnancy, multiple sexual partners and substance use during sexual encounters). Information was also obtained on externalizing (conduct problems and delinquent behaviour) and internalizing (depression, anxiety and posttraumatic stress) symptoms, as well as interpersonal risk and protective factors (affiliation with delinquent peers, parental involvement and teacher support). Hierarchical multiple binary logistic regression analysis was used to examine the associations between these variables and RSB.ResultsBoys reported engaging in more RSB than girls. Externalizing symptoms and affiliation with delinquent peers were most strongly associated with RSB, whereas symptoms of anxiety were negatively associated with RSB. There was an interaction effect for sex and affiliation with delinquent peers on RSB with boys reporting RSB when having more delinquent peers. Neither parental involvement nor teacher support were protective against RSB.ConclusionsEarly detection of and interventions for RSB and associated externalizing symptoms may be important for adolescent physical and mental wellbeing. Affiliation with delinquent peers should, especially among boys, be regarded as a risk marker for RSB.

【 授权许可】

CC BY