Reproductive health risk behavior survey of Colombian high school students

• Published in: Journal of adolescent health Vol. 24; no. 3; pp. 220 - 225
• Main Authors: Becher, Judith C, Garcia, Juan G, Kaplan, David W, Gil, Alberto Rizo, Li, Jaime, Main, Deborah, Herrera, Julian A, Arias, Liliana, Bromet, Arnoldo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.03.1999; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adolescent Behavior; Adolescent health; Age Distribution; Biological and medical sciences; Colombia; Condoms - utilization; Contraception; Contraception Behavior - statistics & numerical data; Family Planning; Female; Gender differences; Health policy; High schools; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Population; Prevalence; Prevention and actions; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Regression Analysis; Reproductive health; Risk behaviour; Risk-Taking; Sex Factors; Sexual Behavior - statistics & numerical data; Sexuality; Social Class; Specific populations (family, woman, child, elderly...); Students; Tropical medicine; Urban Population; YRBS survey; South America; Colombia; America; Adolescent health; Reproductive health; Colombia; Health policy; Sexuality; YRBS survey; Gender differences; Contraception; Family Planning; Human; Prevention; Health; Use; Adolescent; Contraceptive; Sexual intercourse; Behavior; Risk taking; Public health; South America; Americas; Age Factors; Reproductive Health; Contraceptive Usage; Research Methodology; Sampling Studies; Latin America; Students; Education; Population Characteristics; Population; Research Report; Adolescents; Demographic Factors; Schools; Secondary Schools; Risk Reduction Behavior; Youth; Studies; Surveys; Sex Factors; Risk Behavior; Developing Countries; Sex Behavior
• ISSN: 1054-139X; 1879-1972
• DOI: 10.1016/S1054-139X(98)00084-6

Purpose: To establish rates of potentially risky sexual behaviors among Colombian adolescent students. Methods: A total of 230 9th and 11th graders at a Colombian high school (69% of enrolled students) were anonymously surveyed about selected reproductive health behaviors using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s self-administered Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Results: The response rate was >90%. The group was demographically representative of students. Twenty-nine percent of the group had engaged in intercourse (13% of 9th and 43% of 11th graders). Male gender [β = 0.7873; odds ratio (OR) = 2.09; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.57–3.08] and increasing age (β = 0.3413; OR = 1.41; 95% CI = 1.02–1.93) were each significantly correlated with prior sexual activity. Compared with females, males initiated intercourse at a significantly earlier age (β = 0.284; p < .001) but did not report significantly more partners (means 2.1 vs. 1.4; χ 2 = 1.25; p = .262). Forty-eight percent of respondents used contraception during their last encounter. Sixty-three percent used oral contraceptives or condoms, while the remainder used less effective methods. Contraceptive use did not correlate with gender or age. Age was significantly and positively correlated with use of alcohol prior to sexual activity (B = 1.28; OR = 3.6; 95% CI = 1.49–8.44). Conclusions: Compared with U.S. populations of similar ages, the Colombian group surveyed had fewer sexually active members, reported fewer partners, and used contraception with lower frequency.