Changes in sexually transmitted infections-related sexual risk-taking among young Croatian adults: a 2005-2021 three-wave population-based study

Znanstveni rad - Izvorni znanstveni rad

• Autor: Ivan Landripet
• Autor: Ivana Božičević
• Autor: Valerio Baćak
• Autor: Aleksandar Štulhofer
• Autorova ustanova: Sveučilište u Zagrebu; Filozofski fakultet; (Odsjek za sociologiju)
• Autorova ustanova: Sveučilište u Zagrebu; Medicinski fakultet; (KATEDRA ZA MEDICINSKU SOCIOLOGIJU I EKONOMIKU ZDRAVSTVA)
• Znanstveno / umjetničko područje, polje i grana: BIOMEDICINA I ZDRAVSTVO; Javno zdravstvo i zdravstvena zaštita; Socijalna medicina

Sažetak (engleski)

Aim
To assess the prevalence and dynamics of risky sexual behaviors among Croatian emerging adults in the 2005-2021 period.

Methods
Three surveys were conducted on large-scale national samples of young adults aged 18-24 in 2005 (N = 1092) and 18-25 in 2010 and 2021 (N = 1005 and N = 1210, respectively). The 2005 and 2010 studies were conducted with face-to-face interviews on stratified probabilistic samples. The 2021 study was conducted by computer-assisted web-interviewing on a quota-based random sample from the largest national online panel.

Results
Compared with 2005 and 2010, the age at coital debut increased for both genders in 2021 (by a median of one year, to 18 years, and by a mean of half a year, to 17.5 years, in men and to 17.9 in women). In the 2005-2021 period, condom use increased by about 15% both at first intercourse (to 80%) and in consistent use (to 40% in women and 50% in men). When we controlled for basic socio-demographics, Cox and logistic regressions indicated that, for both genders, in 2005 and 2010 compared with 2021, the risks/odds were significantly higher for reporting an earlier sexual debut (adjusted hazard ratio 1.25-1.37), multiple sexual partners (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.62-3.31), and concurrent relationships (AOR 3.36-4.64), while the odds were lower for condom use at first sexual intercourse (AOR 0.24-0.46) and consistently (AOR 0.51-0.64).

Conclusion
Risky sexual behaviors decreased in the 2021 survey compared with the previous two waves, in both genders. Nonetheless, sexual risk-taking is still frequent among young Croatian adults. The introduction of sexuality education and other national-level public health interventions to reduce sexual risk-taking thus remains a public health imperative.

• Ključne riječi (engleski): Croatia / epidemiology; Female; Humans; Male; Odds Ratio; Research Design; Risk-Taking; Sexually Transmitted Diseases / epidemiology; Young Adult
• Jezik: engleski
• Vrsta publikacije: Znanstveni rad - Izvorni znanstveni rad
• Status objave: Objavljen
• Vrsta recenzije: Recenziran - međunarodna recenzija
• Verzija publikacije: Objavljena verzija rada (izdavačev PDF)
• Naslov časopisa: Croatian Medical Journal
• Brojčani podaci: vol. 64, br. 3, str. 186-197
• p-ISSN: 0353-9504
• e-ISSN: 1332-8166
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.3325/cmj.2023.64.186
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:105:240510
• Datum objave publikacije: 2023-06
• URL dokumenta: http://www.cmj.hr/2023/64/3/37391916.htm
• Vrsta resursa: Tekst
• Prava pristupa: Otvoreni pristup
• Datum i vrijeme pohrane: 2023-08-11 07:40:59