ABSTRACT
The purpose of the study was to assess sexual risk behaviours among young people in Central America. Secondary data were analysed from 15,807 school adolescents (mean age = 14.4 years) who were part of the most recent cross-sectional Global School Based Student Health Survey (GSHS) in six Central American countries. Results show that almost a quarter (24.3%) of participants had sexual initiation, with 19.7% in Guatemala and 40.9% in Panama. Among those students who had sexual initiation, 51.7% had it early (≤14 years), 27.7% had non-condom use, 45.1% had non-birth control use and 41.5% had multiple sexual partners. Older age (≥15 years), male sex, psychological distress, suicide attempt, bullying victimization, school truancy, in physical fight, history of alcohol intoxication, trouble from alcohol use, no physical education, physical injury, soft drink intake and low parental support were associated with sexual risk behaviours. One in four adolescents in the Central America had sexual risk behaviours, calling for interventions.
Acknowledgments
This paper uses data from the Global School-Based Students Health Survey (GSHS) Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Panama, GSHS is supported by the World Health Organization and the US Centers for Disease control.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Authors’ contributions
All authors fulfill the criteria for authorship. SP, KP and MESL conceived and designed the research, performed statistical analysis, drafted the manuscript and made critical revision of the manuscript for key intellectual content. All authors read and approved the final version of the manuscript and have agreed to authorship and order of authorship for this manuscript.
Availability of data and materials
The data for the current study are publicly available at the World Health Organization NCD Microdata Repository (https://extranet.who.int/ncdsmicrodata/index.php/catalog).
Additional information
Funding
Notes on contributors
Supa Pengpid
Supa Pengpid is a senior professor in the Department of Health Education and Behavioral Sciences, Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Karl Peltzer
Karl Peltzer is a chair professor in the Department of Psychology, College of Medical and Health Science, Asia University, Taichung, Taiwan.
Mario Ernesto Soriano Lima
Mario Ernesto Soriano Lima is the coordinator of the Adolescents Health Unit, Ministry of Health, San Salvador, El Salvador.