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Determinants of Zambian Men’s Extra-Marital Sex: A Multi-level Analysis

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Abstract

Research interest in extra-marital sex has increased as scholars have become aware of its role in sustaining epidemics of STDs in sub-Saharan Africa and elsewhere. While most research has used the socioeconomic and demographic features of individuals as determinants of extra-marital sexual behavior, this study examined the role played by community characteristics. Using data from the 2003 Zambian Sexual Behavior Survey for a sample of 1,118 men aged 15–59 and multilevel logistic regression techniques, the study analyzed the effects of community social and demographic characteristics on involvement in extra-marital sex while controlling for the men’s individual-level characteristics. Men’s involvement in extra-marital sex was found to vary with the characteristics of communities. The chances of men’s involvement in extra-marital sex increased with community-level ethnic heterogeneity and urbanization, decreased in commercial centers, and in communities with a demographic surplus of males, health workers active in AIDS prevention, and access to the mass media. These results show that scholars trying to understand the motivations for extra-marital sex must pay attention to the characteristics of both individuals and communities.

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Acknowledgment

I would like to thank the staff of Measure Evaluation, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill for assistance in working with the 2003 Zambia Sexual Behavior Survey.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociology and Social Work, Lehman College, City University of New York, 250 Bedford Park Blvd. West, Bronx, NY, 10468-1589, USA

    Kofi D. Benefo

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Appendix: univariate statistics

Appendix: univariate statistics

 

Measures/variables

M

Min, Max

Dependent variable

Had extramarital sex in the last 12 months (yes = 1)

0.09

0, 1

Individual and household characteristics

Age (completed years)

35.82

0, 38

Education (years of schooling)

7.35

0, 21

Separate conjugal residence (yes = 1)

0.04

0, 1

Household media access (yes = 1)

0.58

0, 1

Age at first sex (completed years)

17.53

10, 35

Past alcohol use (yes = 1)

0.64

0, 1

Partner has other partners (yes = 1)

0.04

0, 1

Knows faithfulness protects against infection (yes = 1)

0.59

0, 1

Community characteristics

Community ethnic diversity (Number of ethnic groups in cluster)

8.06

1, 19

Urban residence (yes = 1)

0.51

0, 1

Male demographic surplus (% males in district)

50.10

47.2, 51.30

Commercial center (yes = 1)

0.71

0, 1

Health workers active in HIV/AIDS prevention (yes = 1)

0.38

0, 1

Community mass media access (% of households with radio/tv)

55.97

0, 100

Region/province

Central

0.10

0,1

Copperbelt

0.18

0,1

Eastern

0.13

0,1

Luapula

0.05

0,1

Lusaka

0.18

0,1

Northern

0.10

0,1

North-Western

0.04

0,1

Southern

0.13

0,1

Western

0.10

0,1

Individual-level sample size

1,118

 

Community level sample size

96

 

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Benefo, K.D. Determinants of Zambian Men’s Extra-Marital Sex: A Multi-level Analysis. Arch Sex Behav 37, 517–529 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-007-9243-7

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