A longitudinal analysis of the effects of orphaning on sexual debut in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Although orphan status is believed to be a risk factor for unsafe sexual behaviours among adolescents in developing countries—particularly girls—few studies document the relationship, and those that exist are mainly cross-sectional in nature. METHODS: A population-based sample of 2,200 14-22-year-olds in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa was interviewed twice, with a two-year time interval. Multivariate fixed-effects logit regression analysis is utilized to assess the effects of recent orphaning on sexual debut between survey rounds. The advantage of this method is that the influences of all time-invariant factors—observed and unobserved—at the individual, family, and community levels are controlled for. RESULTS: After controlling for all time-invariant and key time-varying factors (age, schooling, household poverty status, and household size), adolescents who became orphaned between survey waves were 3.1 times more likely (p
Citation
Hallman, K. A longitudinal analysis of the effects of orphaning on sexual debut in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. (2006)
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A longitudinal analysis of the effects of orphaning on sexual debut in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.