Epidemiology: Open Access
Open Access

Abstract

Background: Sexual risk behavior is highly sensitive and intimate within the Chinese cultural context, and is mainly assessed
among high risk population, e.g. female sex worker (FSW), men who have sex with men (MSM) and rural-to-urban migrants.
Megacities like Guangzhou have undergone evidently changes of population structure with increasing numbers of high-risk
groups lacking social support. The importance of social support on sexual risk behavior is unclear. The current study, therefore,
aims at investigating the association between sexual risk behavior and social support among Chinese adults.
Method: Data was obtained from 765 Chinese adults aged 18-59 years using stratified random sampling by utilizing spatial
epidemiological methods. Face-to-face interviews were conducted following randomization by building (nearest geographic
coordinate) and floor levels, with participant selection based on lowest birthday method. Interviews were conducted in
participants’ homes with a self-report questionnaire. Participants reported whether they had multiple sex partners or
unprotected sexual behavior in the past month, respectively. Social support was measured by the Social Support Rating Scale
scored 66 in total with 3 dimensions, namely subjective support, objective support and the utilization of support. Association
between sexual risk behavior and social support was analyzed by univariate analysis followed by multivariate logistic regression
analysis to adjust for possible confounding factors.
Results: The prevalence of multiple sexual partners and unprotected sexual behavior was 18.25% and 52.51%, respectively. The
average social support score was (38.08±8.20), subjective support score, objective support score and the utilization of support
score were (21.41±5.78), (9.31±2.95) and (7.28±2.11). Those with lower score of subjective support were more likely to having
multiple sexual partners (OR=0.901, [95%CI=0.847, 0.958]). Those with lower score of utilization of support were more likely
to having unprotected sexual behavior (OR=0.844, [95%CI= 0.740, 0.962]).
Conclusion: Evidence from this population-level survey indicates high exposure to sexual risk behavior and low social support
in Guangzhou, whilst social support that is protective against sexual risk behavior. The role of social networks should be
explored as potentially useful for community-based intervention development, especially among population with sexual risk
behavior.

Biography

Fangjing Zhou is a postgraduate of Faculty of Medical Statistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University. She is an Assistant of Sun Yatsen
Center for Migrant Health Policy (CMHP), a multidisciplinary center on migrant health, which aims to pioneer knowledge on health of an important population
with implications for national health policies and goals. The research teams of CMHP concentrate on primary health care, disease burden, mental health, sexual
and reproductive health of migrants and so on. Her research direction is sexual health of migrants, focusing on sexual risk behavior and sexually transmitted
disease. She has participated in related researches and a paper has been in peer review.