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Community structure and timing of sexual activity among adolescent girls in Nigeria

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  • Oluwaseyi Dolapo Somefun
  • Emmanuel Olamijuwon

Abstract

Studies have linked the timing of sexual debut to unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmissible infections, including HIV. Current understandings of sexual debut among Nigerian adolescents focused on the roles of individual and familial characteristics. We leveraged the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey data to examine how community features like affluence, ethnic diversity, and women empowerment may be associated with the timing of sexual debut among adolescent girls. The sample comprised 7449 adolescent girls who were usual residents in 6,505 households and 1,352 clusters or communities. Statistical associations between community characteristics and the onset of sexual debut were assessed using a two-level mixed-effects parametric survival model with Weibull distribution. We found that community affluence [aHR:0.43, 95%CI: 0.30–0.62] and community ethnic diversity [aHR: 0.63, 95%CI: 0.42–0.94] are associated with a lower hazard of sexual debut among adolescent girls. We also observed that women that married within the observation period had an earlier sexual initiation than those who were unmarried. The results disaggregated by marital status further shows that higher community level of women’s employment [aHR: 2.45, 95%CI: 1.38–4.38] and women’s education [aHR:1.85, 95%CI: 1.03–3.33] were associated with a higher hazard of sexual debut among unmarried adolescent girls but not married adolescent girls. Higher community affluence [aHR:0.40, 95%CI: 0.27–0.60] was also associated with a lower hazard of sexual debut among unmarried adolescent girls but not married adolescent girls. Our results illuminate the associated factors of the timing of sexual debut among adolescent girls that moves beyond individual characteristics to community characteristics.

Suggested Citation

  • Oluwaseyi Dolapo Somefun & Emmanuel Olamijuwon, 2022. "Community structure and timing of sexual activity among adolescent girls in Nigeria," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 17(7), pages 1-14, July.
  • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0269168
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0269168
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Rafael Cortez & Seemeen Saadat & Edmore Marinda & Oluwole Odutolu, 2016. "Adolescent Fertility and Sexual Health in Nigeria," Health, Nutrition and Population (HNP) Discussion Paper Series 103667, The World Bank.
    2. Stephenson, R., 2009. "Community influences on young people's sexual behavior in 3 African countries," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 99(1), pages 102-109.
    3. Regina Lai Tong Lee & Alice Yuen Loke & Tommy Tsz Man Hung & Howard Sobel, 2018. "A systematic review on identifying risk factors associated with early sexual debut and coerced sex among adolescents and young people in communities," Journal of Clinical Nursing, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 27(3-4), pages 478-501, February.
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