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Brief report: Risky sexual behavior of adolescents in Belgrade: Association with socioeconomic status and family structure

Dejana S. Vukovic^{, a,} and Vesna M. Bjegovic^a,
aSchool of Medicine Belgrade, Institute of Social Medicine, Dr. Subotica 15, 11 000 Belgrade, Serbia

Available online 27 July 2007.

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the association between socioeconomic status and family structure with risky sexual behaviors in adolescents.

Methods: A total of 1782 15-year-old Belgrade schoolchildren (47.5% boys and 52.5% girls) completed a questionnaire from the WHO study, “Health behavior of schoolchildren”.

Results: Adolescents with a higher weekly disposable income, those who perceived their family as wealthy, and those with difficulties in communication with their mothers were more likely to have had been sexually active (odds ratios (OR)=2.497, 1.876, and 1.253, respectively). Adolescents with a higher weekly disposable income were more likely to use contraception (OR=0.233), but those who perceived their families as better-off and those living with only one parent were more likely not to use contraception (OR=4.794, 22.295 [living with father], and 6.169 [living with mother], respectively).

Conclusions: The perceived family wealth was significantly associated with having sexual intercourse and having sexual intercourse without using contraception. Family structure had a limited independent association with sexual behavior.

Keywords: Socioeconomic status; Sexual behavior; Family; Adolescents; Risk behavior