TY - JOUR PY - 2017// TI - Menarche as a predictor of risk-taking behavior in a sample of Hungarian adolescent girls JO - International journal of adolescent medicine and health A1 - Varga-Tóth, Andrea A1 - Maróti-Nagy, Ágnes A1 - Németh, Gábor A1 - Paulik, Edit SP - e2016 EP - 0135 VL - 31 IS - 1 N2 - Background: The age at the time of the first sexual intercourse is declining, and the prevalence of smoking is increasing in adolescent girls in developed countries.

OBJECTIVE To assess the relationship between menarche and tobacco smoking and sexual activity in adolescent girls. Subjects Girls between 14 and 18 years, attending primary or secondary school.

METHODS Socio-demographic characteristics (age, living place, educational level of parents, self-estimated financial background), onset and parameters of periods, and risk behaviors (smoking, sexual activity) were measured by self-administered questionnaires. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to assess the relationship between tobacco use and sexual activity and socio-demographic characteristics, menarche and presence of other risk behaviors.

RESULTS Adolescent girls who had an earlier onset of their periods were about twice as likely to smoke as girls with later onset of their first period [odds ratio (OR): 2.28, confidence interval (CI): 1.14-4.55]. Being sexually active meant more than 7-fold odds of being a regular tobacco user (OR: 7.24, CI: 4.39-11.94). Regarding sexual activity, increasing age (OR: 4.42, CI: 3.45-5.67) and regular smoking (OR: 7.07, CI: 4.24-11.80) increased, while poor financial status decreased (OR: 0.35, CI: 0.13-0.97) the odds of being sexually active.

CONCLUSION In light of these findings, the reconsideration of health and sexual education in Hungary is needed. Implementation of these programs at an earlier age should be desirable to avoid unfavorable consequences, such as early pregnancy.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 0334-0139 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/ijamh-2016-0135 ID - ref1 ER -