Residential segregation and health in Northern Ireland

Patterns of residential segregation in Northern Ireland reflect historic sectarian conflict as well as current animosities. A number of indices of segregation are examined in this paper and their relative merits in capturing localised societal divisions are discussed. The implications of such divisions on health as mediated through conflict-related stress are then considered. Costed datasets of hospital, community and anxiety/depression prescribing data have been assembled and attributed to local geographies. The association between geographical variations in these costs and levels of segregation was modelled using regression analysis. It was found that the level of segregation does not help to explain variations in costed utilisation of acute and elderly services but does explain variations in the costs of prescribing for anxiety and depression with controls for socio-economic deprivation included. Results in this paper would indicate that strategies to promote good relations in Northern Ireland have positive implications for mental health.     

Sexual behavior of unmarried Colombian University students: A five-year follow-up

The results of a 5-year follow-up survey on the sexual behavior of unmarried Colombian University students are reported. On the whole, these findings corroborate the earlier data. Coital incidences of 93.9% among males and 38.3% among females, as well as the important role prostitution still plays in the sexual lives of males, show that the double standard is much in force. However, there are indicators of its erosion, such as male students' decreasing reliance on prostitutes as sources of sexual outlet and the appreciable incidence of female premarital coitus, which could reach 50% among those students that eventually marry.The male results were presented at the First Colombian Congress of Sexology, Cali, August 1981.     

Sexual attitudes and behavior patterns during and following pregnancy

Changes in sexual attitudes and behavior patterns that might be associciated with pregnancy and childbirth were investigated. The subjects were 216 women seen by a group of obstetricians and gynecologists in office practice. While there was a wide range of individual responses, in general a decline in sexual interest, activity, and satisfaction was reported as pregnancy progressed. The desire for body contact remained at a very high level throughout. Some changes in body zones regarded as most erogenous during the course of pregnancy were indicated. Following childbirth the women's sexuality seems to have returned to a normal level. The degree of liberal vs. conservative attitudes toward sex expressed by these women was not affected by the pregnancy, nor did this dimension relate significantly to other behavioral variables.     

Sexual attitudes and risk-taking behaviors of high school students in Turkey

BACKGROUND: The risk of sexually transmitted diseases is high but opportunities of sexual education for adolescents are limited in Turkey. The aim of this study was to evaluate sexual attitudes and behaviors and to determine the predictors of sexual initiation among adolescents. METHODS: A questionnaire designed by the researchers was administered to 861 senior year high school students in their classrooms. RESULTS: The rates of masturbation and sexual intercourse and the median partner numbers among males were higher than females. The rates of having negative feelings after the first sex among females were higher than males. The rates of having sexual intercourse and the mean age at first sexual intercourse among males were similar to developed countries. However, the use of a condom at first intercourse was low. Lower academic performance and grade repetition experience among males and cigarette smoking among both gender groups were related to having sexual intercourse. CONCLUSIONS: This is one of the first studies about sexual risk-taking behaviors among high school students in Turkey. Differences found between gender groups regarding attitudes and behaviors reflect the social structure in Turkey. These findings may be helpful in producing effective solutions for improving education and preventive health care.     

农民工性行为发生情况及影响因素分析

目的 了解农民工与艾滋病相关性行为情况及其影响因素。方法采用随机整群抽样方法,选取陕西省蓝田县3个乡6个村的820名具有外出打工史的农民为对象,通过问卷对其性行为现状进行调查。结果 农民工有婚前性行为者占36.3%,有婚外性行为者占11.7%,有≥2个性伙伴者占17.2%;初次性行为年龄女性早于男性,小年龄组早于大年龄组,轻体力劳动者早于劳动强度大者(P<0.001);性别(OR=0.36)、婚姻状况(OR=3.35)、打工地点(OR=1.93)、初次性行为年龄(OR=0.79)、每次外出打工时间(OR=1.02)因素影响多性伴人数;多性伴者在初次和既往性行为中安全套使用率高于单性伴者(P<0.05)。结论 农民工高危性行为的发生与性别、婚姻状态、打工类型、打工地点及每次外出打工时间有关。     

The influence of parents,church, and peers on the sexual attitudes and behaviors of college students

Male and female undergraduate students were surveyed concerning their sexual attitudes, sexual behaviors, and contraceptive behavior. In addition, the general attitudes about sexuality the students perceived as communicated to them by their parents, their church, and their peers were assessed. It was found for female students that general attitudes about sexuality, as defined on an erotophilia-erotophobia dimension, and sexual behaviors were correlated with the perceived attitudes of peers, rather than those of parents and church. However, male students' attitudes and some sexual behaviors were correlated with the perceived attitudes of their parents, rather than the views of their peers and church. Church attitudes were not found to be related to any of the measures. None of the sources of influence, parents, peers, or church attitudes, or erotophilia-erotophobia was related to contraceptive behavior.This article is taken from the first author's undergraduate honors thesis, prepared under the supervision of the second author.     

Sexual behavior among university students in Nigeria

Sexual behavior patterns among Nigerian university students and factors influencing them were studied. While premarital cohabitation is common, a large percentage (48%) had their first coital experience between the ages of 22 and 27. Religion does not appear to have a strong inhibiting influence on premarital sex, although it does affect the frequency of changing partners. Contraceptives, although known to almost all the respondents, are not widely used. The use of contraceptives had little influence on premarital cohabitation. Oral-genital, male-male, and female-female sexual practices are very uncommon.     

Sexual histories,attitudes, and behavior of schizophrenic and “normal” women

Data on sexual history and current sexual functioning were collected from 20 schizophrenic women and 15 normal volunteers. Schizophrenic women, compared to normal volunteers, reported a higher incidence of sexual abuse premorbidly, particularly during childhood, as well as after the onset of frank psychotic symptomatology. Patients also learned about sexual interaction and began menstruating earlier and had more negative feelings toward menstruating. In addition, psychosexual dysfunctions were markedly more common among the schizophrenic women, both pre- and postmorbidly. Compared to only 13.4% of the normal women, 60% of the schizophrenic women had never experienced orgasm. Patients did not believe that sexual activity worsened their illness, and only 20% of the patients thought their illness had adversely affected their sexual behavior.     

上海市中学生性相关知识、态度及行为分析

目的了解中学生的性相关知识、态度与行为。方法采用匿名自填式问卷对上海市某区11所中学3069名初一和高一年级学生进行调查。结果中学生的生殖健康知识水平较低，初中生和高中生的总知识得分分别为33．85分和55．08分；对中学生谈恋爱和婚前性行为的态度较开放，4／5的高中生和超过半数的初中生对婚前性行为持认同或理解态度；约1／4的高中生和约6％的初中生谈过恋爱或与异性有过拥抱行为。结论随着年龄的增长，中学生对性相关问题的态度趋于开放。性相关行为的发生比例趋于升高。然而，他们却普遍缺乏生殖健康知识。针对中学生的生殖健康问题家庭和学校应加强教育。     

Sexual interest,attitudes, knowledge,and sexual history in relation to sexual behavior in the institutionalized aged

Although the idea that sexuality is a lifelong need is gaining greater research support and greater acceptability to the general public, few consider the institutionalized aged as having sexual needs or being able to benefit from sexual intimacy. The research presented here indicates that sexual activity in the institutionalized aged is related to their attitudes and behavior to ward sexuality and to their sexual interest level and prior frequency of sexual activity. Institutionalized aged persons evidence sexual needs and do engage in sexual behavior.The present research was supported by NIMH Grant R01-MH280409-01-02 to the author.     

Sexual activities and attitudes of adolescent Koreans

Data regarding the sexual behaviors of 849 Korean adolescents ( years) were collected. Behaviors reported for males vs. females were 36.5 vs. 27.0% for kissing, 27.2 vs. 14.8% for petting, and 22.9 vs. 9.8% for coitus. In addition to reporting a greater number of experiences, males reported a greater number of partners for all three behavior categories. Among those who participated in coitus, nearly one third of the males and two thirds of the females reported only one partner. Two thirds of the males considered their recent experiences with coitus to be satisfactory, whereas over half of the females gave a neutral response. About 37% of males and 55% of females reported that their most recent coital experience was less than a month ago. On average, the coitally active adolescents began sexual activity at about 18 years of age. Interpretations of these data must take into consideration the respondents' hesitancy in the Korean setting to admit to having sexual experiences. Because premarital sex for adolescents is considered very undesirable in the Korean social setting, the respondents' reporting bias might be in the direction of underreporting. Findings are discussed in the context of unplanned pregnancy and abortion. This investigation was supported by the Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction, World Health Organization, Project No. 91207 BSDA.     

Sexual behavior of unmarried Colombian university students: A follow-up

Since the mid-1970s, the author has conducted periodic surveys of the sexual behavior of the students of Caldas University, Manizales, Colombia. This study presents the results of the latest follow-up. It documents the accelerated convergence of male and female sexual behavior in a culture which, up to a few years ago, fully adhered to the double standard. The most striking change relates to the increase in the incidence of female premarital coitus, from 38.3% five years earlier to 64.6%, and perhaps 80% among those students who eventually marry. However, the study also shows that prostitution still plays an important role in the sexual lives of male students.     

Sexual behavior of Colombian female university students

The results of a survey of sexual behavior conducted among 113 female students of Caldas University, Manizales, Colombia, are reported. Among other findings, cumulative incidence of masturbation was 68.1% and that of premarital coitus 33.6%. On the other hand, 56.4% of the nonvirgins professed to have had oralgenital contacts and 28.2% of them said that they had experienced anal coitus. While 96.5% of the students admitted contact with pornographic materials and 40.4% had been sexually aroused by these materials, 18% of those subjects who had been exposed to romantic (nonsexually explicit) materials professed to have been sexually aroused. As to contraceptive practices, many students never used any contraceptive method, and 11.4% of the coitally experienced respondents admitted to having had an induced abortion. This study also shows a negative correlation between religiosity and the subjects' sexual behavior. Highly significant sex differences in sexual behavior among Colombian university students are also revealed when this study's findings are compared with data from male medical students.     

Dissonances in self-reported health and mortality across denominational groups in Northern Ireland

Measures of self-reported health status are increasingly used in research and health policy. However, the inherent subjectivity of the responses gives rise to lingering concerns about their utility, especially across national and cultural boundaries. In this study we use religious denomination as a proxy for Scottish ancestry within Northern Ireland and demonstrate significant differences in levels of self-reported ill-health that are not fully reflected in mortality risks. These findings mirror the differences between Scotland and Northern Ireland previously shown in ecological studies and provide more definitive evidence that even within the United Kingdom factors other than morbidity levels influence the perception and reporting of health status. Possible explanations for the dissonance between morbidity and mortality levels are discussed and the reasons for a preference for socio-economic rather than cultural factors are described.     

An evaluation of mental health service provision in Northern Ireland

Although Northern Ireland has high levels of mental health problems, there has been a relative lack of systematic research on mental health services that can provide an evidence base for legal, policy, and service developments. This article aims to provide a review of the central issues relating to mental health service provision in Northern Ireland, and to gather the perceptions of different stakeholders of these services. The study utilised in‐depth qualitative interviews, focus groups, and an online survey to collect data from respondents throughout the region. This method involved the completion of semistructured interviews with significant mental health commissioners and senior managers, and with service‐users and their key workers. Focus groups sessions were also completed with mental health professionals, service‐users, and carers. Data collection occurred between December 2014 and June 2015. Thematic analysis was used to identify key issues. The findings identified that considerable progress had been made not only in the development of mental health services in the last decade, but also highlighted the significant limitations in current services. Most notably, strengths in provision included the transition from long‐stay hospital care to community‐based services and person‐centred approaches. The researchers identified the need to improve funding, address problems with fragmentation, and gaps in service provision. Based on these findings, the authors consider the implications for practice and policy relating to the human and organisational aspects of service development. In particular, services should be developed focusing on a recovery ethos and on person‐centred and relationship‐based approaches. The needs of carers should additionally be considered and programmes developed to tackle stigma.     

Dimensions of AIDS Knowledge and Risky Sexual Practices: A Study of Northern Thai Males

The relation between AIDS-related knowledge and sexual risk-taking for a sample of young men living in northern Thailand was examined. Data were collected during the fall of 1991. The sample of 1472 men includes university students, soldiers, store clerks, and laborers. Recent commercial sex patronage was variable among the subgroups, and consistent condom use among these recent patrons was far from universal Several important misunderstandings among our respondents regarding the AIDS virus were identified. These misconceptions were most common among men of relatively low socioeconomic status (laborers and soldiers). Factor analysis identified four distinct domains of AIDS knowledge among the student and soldier groups: knowledge about the mechanics of contagion, knowledge about the consequences of infection, knowledge about appropriate strategies for avoiding the virus, and knowledge regarding inappropriate strategies for avoiding the virus. In multivariate logistic regression, knowledge about inappropriate strategies and knowledge about contagion were the only two domains predictive of recent commercial sex patronage: Men with a relatively good understanding regarding the inefficacy of inappropriate strategies and the mechanics of contagion had lower odds of recent commercial sex patronage compared with men who had a relatively poor understanding of these domains of AIDS knowledge. In the condom use analysis, knowledge about both appropriate and inappropriate strategies was predictive of consistent condom use among recent commercial sex patrons. Thus programs should attempt to improve knowledge about strategies for avoiding the virus and the mechanics of contagion. Special efforts should be made to debunk existing myths about the perceived effectiveness of inappropriate strategies.     

非医学生营养知识、态度和饮食行为调查

目的了解非医学生营养知识、营养态度和饮食行为,为进一步的营养健康教育和营养干预提供参考依据。方法选取河南省某高校非医学专业学生328名,采用发放调查问卷的形式进行营养知识及饮食行为的现场调查。结果非医学专业大学生营养知识得分较低,男女无差异,膳食不合理比例较高(58%),原因是习惯按口味选择食物和缺乏营养知识,牛奶、鸡蛋和肉食摄入较少,学生饮食消费水平多集中在300元~400元。结论应从加强营养教育和提高学校餐饮质量等方面着手,提高学生的身体素质。     

芜湖市及其周边地区男男性接触者性行为学调查

目的了解芜湖市及其周边地区男男性接触者(MSM)性行为学特征,为行为干预方法提供有效依据。方法通过MSM志愿者对MSM进行匿名问卷调查。结果共调查MSM 360名,被调查者中文化水平普遍较高,69.17%的被调查者在最近半年内与男性发生过性行为,其性伴数平均为4人,其中每次都使用安全套率为14.06%;50%的被调查者在最近1个月与男性发生过性行为,性伴数平均2人。最近1个月做过性行为被动方的次数平均为4次,安全套每次都使用的率为26.67%;最近一次性行为安全套使用率为29.44%,不使用安全套的主要原因是自己或性伙伴不喜欢使用和身边没有安全套;存在商业性性行为现象,H IV抗体检测阳性率为6.35%。结论该市及周边地区MSM人群的危险性行为普遍存在,存在艾滋病流行的可能,也是艾滋病传播的桥梁人群,应及时采取有效控制措施。     

A cross-cultural exploration of abortion fund patients in the USA and the Republic of Ireland,Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man

This paper details results of a study examining administrative case data from 2010–2015 from abortion funds serving the USA and the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man. Driven by the available data, the researchers compared organisational characteristics, patient characteristics, procedural costs, patient resources and the ratio between patient resources and procedural costs. Independent t-tests were conducted to assess whether differences in characteristics, costs or resources were significant. The number of patients serviced by abortion funds across the two datasets increased yearly from 2010–2015. While patients in the USA had more resources, on average, to contribute to their abortion procedure, Irish, Northern Irish and Manx patients had the resources to pay for a greater percentage of their costs, on average, which was mainly attributable to the differences in gestational age of those helped by the different abortion funds. Patients across all nations were similar in terms of their marital status, average age and number of existing children. Patients across these countries face expensive procedures and a lack of resources that are bridged in part by abortion fund assistance.     

杭州市男大学生性态度性行为和安全套使用现况调查

目的了解杭州市男大学生性态度、性行为和安全套使用情况。方法在杭州市某高教园区,采用自行设计的调查问卷,使用分层随机抽样法对在校男大学生进行自填式问卷调查。采用SPSS 17.0统计软件对结果进行描述分析,对率或构成比的比较采用χ2检验,以P〈0.05为差异有统计学意义。结果超过90%的男大学生对婚前性行为持接受态度,且在不同年级间（χ2=48.791,P〈0.01）和不同专业间（χ2=36.021,P〈0.01）差异有统计学意义。在受调查者中,有性经历者占21.9%,其中仅80.1%的人在发生性行为过程中使用过安全套,但每次或经常使用安全套者不足60%。调查发现低年级男大学生在性行为方面呈现高增长、高活跃和高暴露的＂三高＂特征。结论男大学生性健康状况不容乐观,应积极开展健康教育,促进大学生性健康。