Gender Differences in How Parents, Peers, and Exposure to Sexually Explicit Materials Influence the Intention to Engage in Casual Sex among Adolescents and Young Adults in Taiwan: Applying the Theory of Planned Behavior

Ying-Hua Tseng; Wen-Li Hou; Shih-Hsien Kuo; Yu-Hsiang Liu; Hui-Ling Wang; Ray C Hsiao; Fan-Hao Chou; Cheng-Fang Yen

doi:10.3390/ijerph182413089

Gender Differences in How Parents, Peers, and Exposure to Sexually Explicit Materials Influence the Intention to Engage in Casual Sex among Adolescents and Young Adults in Taiwan: Applying the Theory of Planned Behavior

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Dec 11;18(24):13089. doi: 10.3390/ijerph182413089.

Authors

Ying-Hua Tseng¹, Wen-Li Hou¹, Shih-Hsien Kuo², Yu-Hsiang Liu², Hui-Ling Wang², Ray C Hsiao^{3

4}, Fan-Hao Chou¹, Cheng-Fang Yen^{5

6

7}

Affiliations

¹ College of Nursing, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan.
² School of Nursing, Fooyin University, Kaohsiung 83102, Taiwan.
³ Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
⁴ Department of Psychiatry, Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center, Seattle, WA 98105, USA.
⁵ Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan.
⁶ Department of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung 80756, Taiwan.
⁷ College of Professional Studies, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung 91201, Taiwan.

Abstract

The aims of this study were to examine gender differences in how parent-child discussions on sex issues, peer interactions around sexual issues, and exposure to sexually explicit materials affect the intention to engage in casual sex among adolescents and young adults in Taiwan. This cross-sectional survey study recruited 767 participants (348 men and 419 women) aged 15-24 years. The survey collected data on participants' intention to engage in casual sex, their attitude toward and perception of casual sex based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) (favorable attitude, perceiving positive social norms toward casual sex, and perceived control over involvement), parent-child and peer discussions about sexual issues, and exposure to sexually explicit materials. The results of multiple regression analysis revealed that parent-child discussions on sex issues, peer interactions around sexual issues, and exposure to sexually explicit materials were significantly associated with the intention to engage in casual sex. The results of structural equation modeling (SEM) further supported that favorable attitude, perceiving positive social norms toward casual sex, and control over involvement mediated the associations. For men, decreased favorable attitude mediated the negative association between parent-child discussions and casual sex intention; increased favorable attitudes and decreased control over involvement mediated the positive associations between peer interactions and casual sex intention. For women, decreased control over involvement mediated the positive association between exposure to sexually explicit materials and casual sex intention. The associations between peer interaction and subjective norms of acceptance, perceived control over involvement, and casual sex intention were stronger in men than in women; the association of favorable attitudes with casual sex intention was also stronger in men than in women.

Keywords: casual sex; gender gap; parent; peer; sexually explicit material; theory of planned behavior.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Cross-Sectional Studies
Female
Humans
Intention*
Male
Sex Factors
Sexual Behavior*
Taiwan
Young Adult