Timing of Sexual Initiation in Polish Adolescents: A Multilevel Study of Individual, Family, and Contextual Determinants.
This cross-sectional study examined the timing and multilevel correlates of first sexual intercourse among 3,151 Polish adolescents (49.8% boys; mean age = 15.7 ± 1.6 years). Using Cox proportional hazards regression and structural equation modeling (SEM), gender-specific associations and pathways l...
| Published in: | Archives of Sexual Behavior Vol. 55; no. 4; pp. 1635 - 1651 |
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| Main Authors: | , |
| Format: | Article |
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Springer Nature
Apr2026
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | View this record in EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ssf&AN=194640169&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: ssf uiTerm: 194640169 longDbName: Social Sciences Full Text (H.W. Wilson) uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: jinfo: jid: 00040002 ASX jtl: Archives of Sexual Behavior issn: 00040002 maglogo: N pubinfo: dt: Apr2026 vid: 55 iid: 4 pid: 237 pub: Springer Nature artinfo: ui: 194640169 10.1007/s10508-026-03465-7 ppf: 1635 ppct: 16 formats: tig: atl: Timing of Sexual Initiation in Polish Adolescents: A Multilevel Study of Individual, Family, and Contextual Determinants. aug: au: Kaczmarek, Maria Durda-Masny, Magdalena affil: https://ror.org/04g6bbq64 Faculty of Biology, Institute of Human Biology and Evolution, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, 61-614, Poznań, Poland su: Sexual intercourse Risk-taking behavior Teenagers Social influence Human research subjects Home environment Gender differences (Sociology) Polish people sug: subj: Sexual intercourse Risk-taking behavior Teenagers Social influence Human research subjects Home environment Gender differences (Sociology) Polish people keyword: Family and community context Gender differences Medical and Health Sciences Public Health and Health Services Psychology and Cognitive Sciences Psychology Risky behaviors Sexual debut Subjective well-being Survival analysis Family and community context Gender differences Medical and Health Sciences Public Health and Health Services Psychology and Cognitive Sciences Psychology Risky behaviors Sexual debut Subjective well-being Survival analysis ab: This cross-sectional study examined the timing and multilevel correlates of first sexual intercourse among 3,151 Polish adolescents (49.8% boys; mean age = 15.7 ± 1.6 years). Using Cox proportional hazards regression and structural equation modeling (SEM), gender-specific associations and pathways linking community, family, and individual factors to sexual debut were assessed. The median age at first sex was 17.49 years for boys and 18.08 years for girls. Cox regression identified key predictors of earlier sexual debut: for boys, higher peer popularity (HR = 1.44, 95% CI: 1.18–1.76), vigorous physical activity (HR = 3.36, 95% CI: 1.40–5.09), and alcohol use (HR = 2.95, 95% CI: 2.56–3.40); for girls, lower subjective well-being (HR = 1.69, 95% CI: 1.26–2.04), poorer self-rated health (HR = 1.69, 95% CI: 1.26–2.04), greater body dissatisfaction (HR = 1.66, 95% CI: 1.07–1.95), and substance use (HR = 2.40, 95% CI: 1.60–3.61). SEM showed that family and community factors had weak direct effects but acted indirectly through risky behaviors and, for girls, via subjective well-being, explaining 41.5% of the variance in boys and 36.3% in girls. Most associations operated additively, however, limited synergistic effects amplified the role of risky behaviors in less supportive contexts. Multi-group analysis revealed shared (behavioral) and different pathways to sexual debut: girls' well-being was more affected by family and community contexts; boys' risky behaviors were more strongly related to school type and urban residence. The findings highlight common and gender-specific mechanisms of sexual debut emphasizing the need for context-sensitive interventions to promote healthy sexual development. pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: Article src: R language: English refInfo: copyright: @attributes: flag: N holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
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