Individual and social factors related to sexual behavioral intention among a sample of Bangladesh adolescents

The purpose of the study is to measure the association between individual and social factors and intentions to use a contraceptive method at next sex among adolescents in Bangladesh. Data come from the 2004 Bangladesh Adolescent Reproductive Health Survey, a nationally-representative sample of Bangladesh adolescents between the ages of 10 and 19 years. Items measured individual, household, community, and mass media factors that were hypothesized to affect contraceptive intentions. Analysis consisted of a sub-sample of 673 girls and 892 boys (n=1565). Propensity score matching methods were used to find similar comparison groups and logistic regression models estimated bivariate and multivariate associations. Among unmarried female adolescents, pregnancy knowledge, perceptions that social norms favor contraceptive use, and reported parent-child communication about adolescent health issues were positively associated with intentions. Among unmarried male adolescents, exposure to radio messages about contraception and reported parent-child communication about adolescent health issues were positively associated with contraceptive intentions. These findings reaffirm that programs need to address influence at multiple levels and increase parent-child communication among adolescents, particularly males.