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. 2018 Nov 23:6:2050312118813284.
doi: 10.1177/2050312118813284. eCollection 2018.

The relationships between sexual risk behaviors and general health risk behaviors among unmarried youth in Thailand

Tawima Sirirassamee  1 , Dusadee Yoelao  2 , Kanu Priya Mohan  2 , Supakorn Limkhunthummo  3
Affiliations

The relationships between sexual risk behaviors and general health risk behaviors among unmarried youth in Thailand

Tawima Sirirassamee et al. SAGE Open Med. .

Abstract

Objectives: The prevalence and correlates of sexual risk behaviors among unmarried youth in Thailand are poorly documented. The objectives of this study were to compare the differences in sexual behaviors across age groups and gender and to identify the relationships between sexual risk behaviors and general health risk behaviors among unmarried Thai youth.

Methods: A population-based, nationally representative, cross-sectional survey was conducted between January and March 2013. The Thai version of the Youth Risk Behavior Survey questionnaire was used to collect data from 800 unmarried Thai youth.

Results: Majority of the respondents (65.9%) had not engaged in any sexual risk behavior, 18.7% had engaged in 2-3 sexual risk behaviors, and only 5.5% had engaged in a single sexual risk behavior. Current sexually active youth had higher risk of participating in physical fights (odds ratio = 3.41, 95% confidence interval = 1.53-7.57), smoking cigarette (odds ratio = 4.05, 95% confidence interval = 1.89-8.67), and drinking alcohol (odds ratio = 2.17, 95% confidence interval = 1.08-4.36).

Conclusion: Thai youth were more likely to be involved in multiple sexual risk behaviors than a single sexual risk behavior. Physical fighting was the strongest general health risk behavior associated with the sexual risk behaviors, followed by substance abuse.

Keywords: Sexual risk behavior; Thai youth; Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System; adolescent; risk behavior.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of conflicting interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

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