Bullying and truancy: Predictors to sexual practices among school-going adolescents in Malaysia – a crosssectional study
- Author:
Azmawati Mohammed Nawi
;
Dalila Roslan
;
Idayu Badilla Idris
;
Rozita Hod
- Publication Type:Original article
- Keywords:
Adolescents;
sexual practices;
pre-marital sex;
negative behaviours;
bullying
- MeSH:
Adolescent;
Bullying;
Behavior
- From:
The Medical Journal of Malaysia
2017;72(5):298-305
- CountryMalaysia
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Introduction: Adolescents’ involvement in sexual practices
are becoming a major public health concern in Malaysia.
This study aims to determine the prevalence of sexual
practices among Malaysian school-going adolescents and
its predictive factors.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out from April
2012 till September 2012 among 16-year-old school
adolescents from two different schools. They were selected
through simple random sampling and these adolescents
answered a self-administered questionnaire consisting of
three sections i.e. socio-demography, risk-taking
behaviours and family-adolescents relationship. Data were
analysed using Pearson Chi-Square test while Simple
Logistic Regression and Multiple Logistic Regression were
applied to determine the predictive factors.
Results: The prevalence of sexual practices among the
adolescents was 30.1% in which they were either involved in
pornography (26.8%), pre-sexual activities (8.5%) or premarital
sex (2.9%). Six predictive factors associated with
sexual practices among this age group were identified which
were male (adjusted Odds Ratio (aOR) 2.7, 95% Confidence
Interval (95%CI) 1.4 to 2.5), truancy (aOR 2.3, 95%CI 1.3 to
4.2), bully (aOR 3.5, 95%CI 1.7 to 7.3), hanging out (aOR 2.8,
95% 1.4 to 5.6), staying out late (aOR 3.2, 95%CI 1.5 to 6.8)
and conflict with family (aOR 4.1, 95%CI 1.9 to 8.9).
Discussion: Asian background differs from the western
countries and findings of this study may suggest suitable
intervention programmes that can prevent high-risk sexual
practices among Asian school-going adolescents.