IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v19y2022i7p3966-d780454.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Early Sexual Initiation Is Associated with Suicide Attempts among Chinese Young People

Author

Listed:
  • Jianing Ren

    (Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
    School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China)

  • Xinran Qi

    (Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
    School of Nursing, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China)

  • Wenzhen Cao

    (School of Public Health and Management, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325035, China)

  • Zhicheng Wang

    (Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
    Research Center for Public Health, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China)

  • Yueping Guo

    (School of Journalism and Communication, Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing 102488, China)

  • Junjian Gaoshan

    (Department for Health, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, UK)

  • Xiao Liang

    (China Family Planning Association, Beijing 100035, China)

  • Kun Tang

    (Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China)

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the association between early sexual initiation and suicide attempts (SAs) among Chinese young people. Our analysis included 9131 college students who had sexual experience from a national sample of 31 provincial administrative regions. Self-reported age at first intercourse was categorized as ≤15, 15–18, and ≥18 years, and the experience of SAs was recorded and analyzed. Compared with females whose sexual debut age was ≥18 years, those ≤15 years (defined as early sexual initiation) had higher odds of SAs in both the forced debut group (odds ratio (OR) 17.04, 95% confidence interval (CI) 4.87–59.66) and the voluntary debut group (OR 37.63, 95% CI 14.96–94.66). Early sexual initiators who lived in rural areas were more inclined to have SAs (female: OR 65.76, 95% CI 19.80–218.42; male: OR 15.39, 95% CI 1.64–144.19). Early sexual initiators who never had parent–child communication about sex were more likely to report having SAs (female: OR 37.81, 95% CI 12.28–116.46). Sexual debut during adolescence, particularly early sexual initiation, was a crucial risk factor for SAs among both sexes. Comprehensive sexuality education and smooth parental communication about sex will provide a supportive environment for young people and hence reduce the potential risks of SAs.

Suggested Citation

  • Jianing Ren & Xinran Qi & Wenzhen Cao & Zhicheng Wang & Yueping Guo & Junjian Gaoshan & Xiao Liang & Kun Tang, 2022. "Early Sexual Initiation Is Associated with Suicide Attempts among Chinese Young People," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(7), pages 1-12, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:7:p:3966-:d:780454
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/7/3966/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/7/3966/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sandfort, T.G.M. & Orr, M. & Hirsch, J.S. & Santelli, J., 2008. "Long-term health correlates of timing of sexual debut: Results from a national US study," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 98(1), pages 155-161.
    2. Bimala Sharma & Eun Woo Nam & Ha Yun Kim & Jong Koo Kim, 2015. "Factors Associated with Suicidal Ideation and Suicide Attempt among School-Going Urban Adolescents in Peru," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-15, November.
    3. Hyunlye Kim & Kwang-Hi Park & Suin Park, 2021. "Gender Differences in Sexual Behaviors and Their Relevance to Mental Health among High School Students with Sexual Experience in South Korea," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-10, October.
    4. Koenig, Michael A. & Lutalo, Tom & Zhao, Feng & Nalugoda, Fred & Kiwanuka, Noah & Wabwire-Mangen, Fred & Kigozi, Godfrey & Sewankambo, Nelson & Wagman, Jennifer & Serwadda, David & Wawer, Maria & Gray, 2004. "Coercive sex in rural Uganda: Prevalence and associated risk factors," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 58(4), pages 787-798, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Williams-Butler, Abigail & Howard, Tyriesa & Li Anthony, Wen & Duron, Jacquelynn, 2023. "Adverse Childhood Experiences, sexual debut and substance use among Black justice-involved youth: The imperative of trauma-informed sexuality education," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 147(C).
    2. Lorraine Burke & Saoirse Nic Gabhainn & Colette Kelly, 2018. "Socio-Demographic, Health and Lifestyle Factors Influencing Age of Sexual Initiation among Adolescents," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-15, August.
    3. Joseph Sabia & Daniel Rees, 2012. "Does the number of sex partners affect educational attainment? Evidence from female respondents to the Add Health," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 25(1), pages 89-118, January.
    4. O'Hara, Ross E. & Gibbons, Frederick X. & Li, Zhigang & Gerrard, Meg & Sargent, James D., 2013. "Specificity of early movie effects on adolescent sexual behavior and alcohol use," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 200-207.
    5. McKell A. Jorgensen-Wells & Spencer L. James, 2020. "Social Capital and Age at Sexual Debut: Race Differences in South Africa," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 9(11), pages 1-15, October.
    6. Javzan Badarch & Bayar Chuluunbaatar & Suvd Batbaatar & Edit Paulik, 2022. "Suicide Attempts among School-Attending Adolescents in Mongolia: Associated Factors and Gender Differences," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(5), pages 1-10, March.
    7. Joseph Sabia & Daniel Rees, 2009. "The effect of sexual abstinence on females' educational attainment," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 46(4), pages 695-715, November.
    8. Angela Chia‐Chen Chen & Torsten B. Neilands & Shu‐Min Chan & Marguerita Lightfoot, 2016. "Contextual influence of Taiwanese adolescents' sexual attitudes and behavioral intent," Nursing & Health Sciences, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 18(3), pages 355-361, September.
    9. Bimala Sharma & Tae Ho Lee & Eun Woo Nam, 2017. "Loneliness, Insomnia and Suicidal Behavior among School-Going Adolescents in Western Pacific Island Countries: Role of Violence and Injury," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-11, July.
    10. Dana Rotz & Brian Goesling & Nicholas Redel & Menbere Shiferaw & Claire Smither-Wulsin, "undated". "Assessing the Benefits of Delayed Sexual Activity: A Synthesis of the Literature," Mathematica Policy Research Reports 16a96ac7ac69493eaeb7edba2, Mathematica Policy Research.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:7:p:3966-:d:780454. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.