Examining the Role of Online Sexual Behaviors in Changes in Sexual Health and Attitudes Toward Marriage in Girls Aged 18 to 24
Keywords:
Adolescent girls, Online sexual behaviors, Sexual health, Sexual satisfaction, Attitudes toward marriageAbstract
Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the predictive role of online sexual behaviors and sexual satisfaction on sexual health and attitudes toward marriage among adolescent girls aged 18 to 24.
Methods and Materials: This cross-sectional study was conducted using convenience sampling with a total of 40 unmarried adolescent girls residing in Tehran who were between 18 and 24 years old. Data were collected through four standardized instruments: Bratton and Rosen’s Attitude Toward Marriage Questionnaire (1998), Larson’s Sexual Satisfaction Questionnaire (1998), the Sexual Quality of Life Questionnaire for Women by Symonds et al. (2005), and Shaughnessy’s Online Sexual Activities Questionnaire (2011). All participants completed the questionnaires after providing informed consent and undergoing a preliminary clinical interview with a therapist. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 27, with linear regression employed to assess the predictive relationships between independent and dependent variables.
Findings: The results revealed that online sexual behaviors negatively predicted sexual health (B = -0.46, β = -0.42, t = -3.83, p < .001), while sexual satisfaction positively predicted sexual health (B = 0.61, β = 0.48, t = 4.07, p < .001). The regression model predicting sexual health was statistically significant, indicating that both predictors explained a substantial proportion of variance. In addition, regression results for attitudes toward marriage were significant, F(2, 37) = 20.19, p < .001, with an R² of .53, showing that online sexual behaviors and sexual satisfaction together explained 53% of the variance in marriage attitudes.
Conclusion: The findings demonstrate that adolescent girls’ engagement in online sexual behaviors can have detrimental effects on sexual health and marriage attitudes, while sexual satisfaction serves as a protective factor.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Mahdie Khalili Bavilsoflaei (Author); Soheil Moazami Goudarzi (Corresponding Author)
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