Who is at risk? Gendered psychological correlates in Italian students’ sexual risk profiles

Abstract

Recent research has shown that sexual risk behaviours are rising substantially among Italian youth, but this evidence is still undervalued in public discussion. Adopting a multidimensional perspective for sexual risk and addressing gender differences, the present study investigates if and how some individuals’ psychological characteristics—namely body satisfaction, self-esteem and body sensation-seeking—are associated with unsafe and risky sexual behaviours of Italian emerging adults. We exploited the survey SELFY—Sexual and Emotional LiFe of Youths—conducted in 2017 in Italy. Several key points may be highlighted from our study. First, we identify two clusters characterized by high sexual risk-taking behaviours, which include one third of our sample, a non-negligible proportion. Second, we prove that women are generally less inclined to adopt risk-taking behaviours in sexual life. Third, our findings show that body satisfaction, self-esteem and sensation seeking are differently linked to sexual risk taking among women and men. Body satisfaction is associated with a higher probability of adopting risky and promiscuous sexual behaviours among men, while the relationship is not significant among women. Sensation seeking shows a certain relevance in defining sexual risk profiles, especially for men. Overall, our research suggests that body image and self-worth could be relevant areas of intervention for sexual health programs targeting emerging Italian adults. Notably, communication and education strategies on these issues should be differentiated for women and men.

Body Compassion Scale

“…In the Italian context, there is an increasing number of women who report engaging in deleterious weight and body shape control behaviors (e.g., dietary restraint, use of diet pills, and compulsive exercise) to reduce body fat and to become thinner or more muscular (e.g., Dakanalis et al, 2012; Riva et al, 2013). In a recent survey conducted with 5,207 young Italian adults, of whom 2,525 women, about one out of three participants reported being highly dissatisfied with their physical appearance (Pirani & Matera, 2020). As we know, the evaluation of one’s body is an antecedent of various public health concerns, such as including impaired psychological health (e.g., depression) and eating and weight-related problems (e.g., eating disorders, obesity; Bornioli et al, 2019; Bucchianeri & Neumark-Sztainer, 2014).…”

My Exposed Body: Psychometric Properties of the Italian Version of the Social Physique Anxiety Scale-7 among Women

“…This is particularly true for Western societies, such as Italy, in which the importance of social approval and the desire to appear attractive for potential intimate partners are pervasive [ 13 , 14 ]. Indeed, body dissatisfaction is highly widespread among Italian women [ 15 ], who show high levels of anxiety about overall appearance [ 4 ]. These factors represent a risk for eating disorders, which affect almost 3 million people in this country with an estimated lifetime prevalence of 1.7% [ 16 ].…”

“…In Italy, where the pressures on aesthetic appearance are relevant in real and virtual contexts [ 15 ], only one preliminary study [ 30 ] has been conducted to investigate, through Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), the dimensionality of the Italian version of the SPAS-7, finding good psychometric properties of the 7-item scale compared to other versions (i.e., the 12-item original version). The Cronbach alpha of the SPAS-7 was 0.85.…”

Family Structure and History of Childhood Trauma: Associations With Risk-Taking Behavior Among Adolescents in Swaziland

“…Based on vulnerability to risk-taking, adolescents, who are best defined as young people aged 10–19 years, have been labeled as the most susceptible to the adoption of risky behaviors ( 6 ). This is the case because this challenging developmental period is marked by increased levels of curiosity and self-doubt which heightens the potential for engaging in risk-related activities ( 7 ).…”