Smith, L; Jackson, SE; Jacob, L; Grabovac, I; Yang, L; Johnstone, J; McDermott, D; ... Koyanagi, A; + view all Smith, L; Jackson, SE; Jacob, L; Grabovac, I; Yang, L; Johnstone, J; McDermott, D; Gordon, D; Lopez Sanchez, GF; Stefanac, S; Koyanagi, A; - view fewer (2019) Leisure-Time Sedentary Behavior, Alcohol Consumption, and Sexual Intercourse Among Adolescents Aged 12-15 Years in 19 Countries From Africa, the Americas, and Asia. The Journal of Sexual Medicine , 16 (9) pp. 1355-1363. 10.1016/j.jsxm.2019.06.013.

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Abstract

BACKGROUND: The association between sedentary behavior and sexual behavior has not been investigated among adolescents. // AIM: The aim of this study was to: (i) investigate the association between leisure-time sedentary behavior and sexual intercourse, and (ii) test for mediation by alcohol consumption, drug use, physical activity, bullying victimization, parental support/ monitoring, loneliness, and depressive symptoms in a large global sample of young adolescents. // METHODS: Data were analyzed from 34,674 adolescents aged 12-15 years participating in the Global School-based Student Health Survey. Participants reported the number of hours spent in leisure-time sedentary behavior on a typical day (<1, 1-2, 3-4, 5-8, and >8 hours). Data on alcohol consumption, drug use, physical activity, bullying victimization, parental support/monitoring, loneliness, and depressive symptoms were considered as potential mediators. // OUTCOME: Participants reported whether or not they had sexual intercourse in the past 12 months (yes/no). // RESULTS: The prevalence of past 12-month sexual intercourse was 11.9%, whereas the prevalence of <1, 1-2, 3-4, 5-8, and >8 hours per day of leisure-time sedentary behavior were 26.7%, 35.6%, 21.4%, 11.5%, and 4.9%, respectively. There was a dose-dependent relationship between sedentary behavior and odds of reporting sexual intercourse: compared with <1 hour/day of sedentary behavior, the odds ratio (95% CI) of sexual intercourse associated with 1-2, 3-4, 5-8, and >8 hours/day of sedentary behavior were 1.12 (0.94-1.33), 1.22 (1.01-1.48), 1.34 (1.08-1.66), and 1.76 (1.37-2.27), respectively. There was no significant interaction by sex. The largest proportion of the association between sedentary behavior and sexual intercourse was explained by alcohol use (% mediated 21.2%), with other factors explaining an additional 11.2%. // CLINICAL TRANSLATION: Interventions to reduce leisure-time sedentary and/or alcohol consumption may contribute to a reduction in the proportion of adolescents engaging in sexual intercourse at a young age. The strengths and limitations of this study are the large, representative sample of adolescents from 19 countries. However, the cross-sectional design means causality or temporal associations could not be established. // CONCLUSIONS: In young adolescents, leisure-time sedentary behavior is positively associated with odds of having sexual intercourse in both boys and girls, in a dose-dependent manner. Alcohol consumption seems to be a key mediator of this relationship.

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