Ethnic Identity and Sexual Initiation Among East Asian Youth in Canada.

Abstract

Despite the large number of East Asian youth in Canada, little is known about their health and risk behaviors. We examined the relationship between ethnic identity and sexual initiation among East Asians. This secondary analysis of a population-based survey selected 4,311 students in 7-12th grades who described themselves as East Asian (e.g., Chinese, Japanese, Korean). Gender-stratified logistic regression analyses examined whether ethnic identity was associated with sexual initiation, controlling for age, living situation, and cultural exposure. Boys with stronger commitment to their ethnic groups were less likely to have ever had sexual intercourse (aOR 0.80). Girls with higher levels of ethnic identity exploration were less likely to report sexual initiation (aOR 0.71). Stronger ethnic identity was associated with not having sexual intercourse among East Asian adolescents. The findings suggest the need to consider ethnocultural factors in future research and practice.