# Association between different types of smoking and first sexual behavior in adolescents: Survey data from South Korea

## TL;DR

This study finds that smoking among Korean adolescents is linked to earlier sexual behavior, with gender differences observed.

## Contribution

The study identifies a strong association between various types of tobacco use and early sexual behavior in Korean adolescents.

## Key findings

- Adolescents who use tobacco are significantly more likely to engage in sexual behavior compared to non-users.
- Earlier onset of smoking correlates with earlier first sexual encounters, with a correlation coefficient of 0.526.
- Male adolescents show a weaker link between the timing of first tobacco use and first sexual behavior.

## Abstract

Adolescent deviant behaviors can severely hinder their healthy development. This study explores the relationship between tobacco consumption and sexual behavior in Korean adolescents.

This is a secondary dataset analysis of the pooled KYRBS cross-sectional studies from 2018 to 2022. Sexual behavior generally refers to physical contact or interactions related to sex. In this study, sexual behavior primarily refers to intercourse. A logit model was applied to examine the relationship between different types of tobacco use and the initiation of sexual behavior. Furthermore, data from the KYRBS 2018–2021 were used to analyze the time-related patterns in the connection between tobacco use and the first occurrence of sexual behavior among adolescents, with a focus on the moderating role of gender.

Tobacco use among adolescents was positively associated with the occurrence of sexual behavior. After adjusting for other variables, adolescents who use ordinary cigarettes (AOR=7.85; 95% CI: 7.49–8.23), nicotine e-cigarettes (AOR=8.21; 95% CI: 7.80–8.64), or combustible e-cigarettes (AOR=9.86; 95% CI: 9.26–10.49) were more likely to engage in sexual behavior than non-users. Further research indicates that the earlier an individual reported beginning smoking tobacco, the earlier their first sexual encounter occurs, the correlation coefficient is 0.526 (p<0.01). Additionally, in the moderation analysis, the male group weakened the trend in the time to first tobacco use and first sexual behavior.

The use of different types of tobacco among Korean adolescents is strongly associated with sexual behavior. Adolescents are starting to engage in sexual activity at a younger age, especially males. Thus, providing reproductive health education to adolescent smokers could enhance their sexual decision-making. Furthermore, implementing tobacco cessation and sexual education for adolescents necessitates the development of gender-specific strategies to meet the distinct needs of males and females.