Health, health‐compromising behaviour, sexuality and involvement in pregnancy among 18‐year‐old Swedish males: a cross‐sectional survey

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine whether there are differences regarding well‐being, health habits and health‐compromising behaviour between Swedish young men who had never had sexual intercourse (group I), those who were sexually active but without a pregnancy record (group II), and those who had caused pregnancies (group III). A self‐report questionnaire was used covering questions regarding health, health habits and risk behaviour. Tests of significance for differences between the three groups were performed with χ2‐tests. Differences were found in health, health behaviour and risk‐taking behaviour between the three groups of young men, with an apparent tendency towards riskier lifestyles from group I, through group II, to group III. Two especially striking findings were the more frequent use of anabolic steroids and the reported high rate of sexual offences in group III compared with groups I and II. Conclusion: This study highlights serious health‐compromising behaviours in 18‐y‐old men involved in pregnancies in a medium‐sized Swedish city. This group has been largely ignored both in clinical practice and in scientific studies, in contrast to the huge efforts directed towards pregnant adolescent females. Public health workers, school health programmes and adolescent clinics need to acknowledge this and work accordingly.