Socio-demographic factors of early sexual debut and depression among adolescents

BACKGROUND: Adolescent early sexual debut as it relates with socio-demographic factors and depression of secondary school adolescents. During the adolescent stage, attitudes, values and behaviours that shape a young person's behavior in the future develop. Age of sexual debut is generally low, yet there is dearth of knowledge on sexuality in the area of this study-Nsukka Education zone of Enugu State, Nigeria. OBJECTIVE: To determine the socio-demographic factors of early sexual debut and depression among adolescents in secondary schools in Nsukka Education zone of Enugu state, Nigeria. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional longitudinal study of 408 secondary school adolescents in Nsukka Education zone of Enugu state, Nigeria during the 2016/2017 school year. Data was collected using pre-tested, observation schedule, structured interview and well-structured questionnaire. Tests of statistical significance were carried out using chi-square and t-tests. A p value of < 0.005 was found to be significant.” RESULTS: The age group at which respondents had their first sexual intercourse ranged between 13 to 19 years, the mean ages are 12.1±1.2 and 14.5±1.5 for males and females, while the modal and median ages at first sexual intercourse for male and female are 14 and 13 years respectively with a cumulative frequency percent of 56.5. The girls-initiated sex earlier than the boys (p= 0.001). Those brought up by one parent-initiated sex at an earlier age (p= 0.000), while age of sex initiation increased with maternal (p=0.000) and paternal education (p= 0.001). Depressed adolescent boys and girls were more likely than their non-depressed peers to have experienced sexual intercourse. The youngest adolescents who were depressed were more likely to have experienced intercourse than the older ones who were not depressed. Respondents sharing room with parents or adult relations of opposite sex were found to have initiated sex earlier than those staying alone or sharing room with same sex peers. CONCLUSION: Age at sexual debut was found to be associated with younger age, gender, living with a one parent and parents' educational status.