TY - JOUR
T1 - Having sex with partners met online among bachelors in China
T2 - application of the theory of planned behavior
AU - Wang, Ying
AU - Liu, Huijun
AU - Pei, Yaolin
AU - Wu, Bei
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 College of Sexual and Relationship Therapists.
PY - 2024
Y1 - 2024
N2 - Due to a sex ratio imbalance and marriage squeeze in China, many males of marriageable ages cannot find wives. To meet their sexual needs, those bachelors tend to use the internet to find sexual partners in recent years. However, studies on the psychosocial mechanisms underlying having sex with partners met online are scarce. This study examined the relationship between attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavior control, and having sex with online partners based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). The data were obtained from a cross-sectional survey of bachelors (with rural household registration, at least 28 years old and never married) (N = 735) in several regions of China. Logistic regression models show that attitudes and subjective norms were significantly associated with having sex with online partners. The mediation analysis further indicated that the intention of seeking sex partners online partially mediated the relationships across attitudes, subjective norms, and having sex with partners online. This study provides a better understanding of factors associated with having sex with partners met online. It also extends research concerning a population that is understudied. Additionally, it shows the applicability of the TBP model in explaining the factors associated with having sex with partners.
AB - Due to a sex ratio imbalance and marriage squeeze in China, many males of marriageable ages cannot find wives. To meet their sexual needs, those bachelors tend to use the internet to find sexual partners in recent years. However, studies on the psychosocial mechanisms underlying having sex with partners met online are scarce. This study examined the relationship between attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavior control, and having sex with online partners based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). The data were obtained from a cross-sectional survey of bachelors (with rural household registration, at least 28 years old and never married) (N = 735) in several regions of China. Logistic regression models show that attitudes and subjective norms were significantly associated with having sex with online partners. The mediation analysis further indicated that the intention of seeking sex partners online partially mediated the relationships across attitudes, subjective norms, and having sex with partners online. This study provides a better understanding of factors associated with having sex with partners met online. It also extends research concerning a population that is understudied. Additionally, it shows the applicability of the TBP model in explaining the factors associated with having sex with partners.
KW - Bachelors
KW - Theory of Planned Behavior
KW - internet
KW - sex with online partners
KW - sexual behaviors
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U2 - 10.1080/14681994.2022.2025776
DO - 10.1080/14681994.2022.2025776
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85122892062
SN - 1468-1994
VL - 39
SP - 777
EP - 790
JO - Sexual and Relationship Therapy
JF - Sexual and Relationship Therapy
IS - 3
ER -