Variations in reporting finding sexual partners on the internet by key sociodemographic and health behaviours in women reporting one or more new sexual partners in the past year and those reporting at least one sexual partner, ever (2010–2012)
| Women reporting one or more new sexual partner, past year (n=1776) | Women reporting one or more sexual partner, ever (n=8198) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prevalence | Crude OR | Adjusted OR* | Prevalence | Crude OR | Adjusted OR* | |||
| % (95% CI†) | (95% CI) | (95% CI) | Denominator‡ | % (95% CI†) | (95% CI) | (95% CI) | Denominator‡ | |
| Overall | 10.1 (8.5 to 11.9) | 1776, 1094 | 2.4 (2.1 to 2.8) | 8198, 7160 | ||||
| Sociodemographic characteristics | ||||||||
| Age group (years) | p<0.0001 | – | 0.0006 | – | ||||
| 16–24 | 4.2 (3.0 to 5.8) | 1.00 | – | 845, 461 | 3.0 (2.3 to 4.0) | 1.00 | – | 1739, 967 |
| 25–34 | 12.8 (9.6 to 16.8) | 3.37 (2.07 to 5.48) | – | 539, 271 | 3.6 (2.8 to 4.6) | 1.22 (0.82 to 1.80) | – | 2393, 1321 |
| 35–44 | 17.7 (12.2 to 24.9) | 4.94 (2.76 to 8.84) | – | 177, 163 | 2.8 (2.0 to 3.9) | 0.93 (0.59 to 1.48) | – | 1182, 1415 |
| 45–54 | 13.2 (8.4 to 20.0) | 3.48 (1.89 to 6.41) | – | 135, 129 | 1.9 (1.3 to 2.8) | 0.64 (0.39 to 1.03) | – | 1088, 1403 |
| 55–64 | 13.2 (5.8 to 27.1) | 3.49 (1.36 to 8.96) | – | 55, 52 | 1.6 (1.0 to 2.5) | 0.51 (0.29 to 0.91) | – | 984, 1185 |
| 65–74 | – | – | – | Too small to report | 1.0 (0.5 to 2.0) | 0.32 (0.15 to 0.69) | – | 812, 868 |
| Ethnicity | p=0.5350 | p=0.4444 | p=0.1910 | p=0.3827 | ||||
| White | 10.2 (8.5 to 12.2) | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1543, 933 | 2.3 (2.0 to 2.7) | 1.00 | 1.00 | 7339, 6390 |
| Asian | 5.1 (1.2 to 19.1) | 0.47 (0.11 to 2.03) | 0.44 (0.10 to 1.96) | 65, 56 | 2.2 (1.0 to 4.8) | 0.96 (0.42 to 2.17) | 0.86 (0.38 to 1.96) | 323, 311 |
| Black | 7.7 (3.2 to 17.4) | 0.73 (0.29 to 1.85) | 0.82 (0.32 to 2.08) | 63, 45 | 2.3 (1.2 to 4.4) | 0.99 (0.49 to 1.99) | 0.91 (0.45 to 1.82) | 246, 235 |
| Mixed/other | 14.7 (6.8 to 29.0) | 1.52 (0.64 to 3.60) | 1.69 (0.71 to 4.03) | 92, 58 | 5.0 (2.5 to 9.7) | 2.22 (1.08 to 4.58) | 1.88 (0.91 to 3.91) | 272, 208 |
| NSSEC code (individual socioeconomic status)§ | p<0.0001 | p=0.0074 | p=0.3835 | p=0.2588 | ||||
| Managerial and professional occupations | 16.2 (12.3 to 21.1) | 1.00 | 1.00 | 377, 257 | 2.8 (2.2 to 3.5) | 1.00 | 1.00 | 2369, 2257 |
| Intermediate occupations | 11.7 (7.6 to 17.6) | 0.68 (0.39 to 1.21) | 0.71 (0.40 to 1.27) | 275, 179 | 2.3 (1.6 to 3.2) | 0.83 (0.55 to 1.24) | 0.83 (0.55 to 1.25) | 1607, 1444 |
| Semi-routine/routine occupations | 8.8 (6.3 to 12.3) | 0.5 (0.31 to 0.82) | 0.56 (0.33 to 0.93) | 555, 319 | 2.3 (1.7 to 3.0) | 0.82 (0.56 to 1.21) | 0.78 (0.52 to 1.15) | 2315, 1902 |
| No job (10+ hours/week) or not in last 10 years | 11.4 (6.6 to 18.9) | 0.66 (0.33 to 1.31) | 0.69 (0.34 to 1.39) | 154, 99 | 1.7 (1.1 to 2.6) | 0.61 (0.37 to 1.00) | 0.77 (0.47 to 1.28) | 1119, 1064 |
| Student in full-time education | 3.5 (2.1 to 5.9) | 0.19 (0.10 to 0.36) | 0.27 (0.13 to 0.55) | 394, 234 | 2.5 (1.6 to 4.0) | 0.92 (0.54 to 1.55) | 0.54 (0.30 to 0.95) | 745, 454 |
| Quintiles of IMD¶ | p=0.1616 | p=0.1516 | p=0.0725 | p=0.1151 | ||||
| 1 (least deprived) | 9.3 (6.0 to 14.1) | 1.00 | 1.00 | 257, 167 | 1.6 (1.1 to 2.4) | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1504, 1457 |
| 2 | 14.7 (10.1 to 21.1) | 1.69 (0.89 to 3.19) | 1.77 (0.92 to 3.41) | 324, 206 | 2.9 (2.1 to 4.0) | 1.78 (1.07 to 2.97) | 1.74 (1.05 to 2.90) | 1603, 1492 |
| 3 | 8.0 (5.1 to 12.2) | 0.84 (0.44 to 1.63) | 0.83 (0.43 to 1.62) | 331, 214 | 2.0 (1.4 to 2.7) | 1.21 (0.73 to 2.01) | 1.13 (0.68 to 1.88) | 1605, 1398 |
| 4 | 10.4 (7.3 to 14.6) | 1.13 (0.62 to 2.07) | 1.2 (0.64 to 2.23) | 401, 249 | 3.0 (2.2 to 3.9) | 1.84 (1.14 to 2.99) | 1.66 (1.03 to 2.68) | 1705, 1430 |
| 5 (most deprived) | 8.3 (6.0 to 11.5) | 0.89 (0.49 to 1.60) | 0.97 (0.53 to 1.78) | 454, 258 | 2.5 (1.9 to 3.3) | 1.54 (0.96 to 2.49) | 1.37 (0.86 to 2.20) | 1781, 1384 |
| Population density of residence** | p=0.8583 | p=0.7970 | p=0.0260 | p=0.0689 | ||||
| Rural or town area | 10.5 (6.6 to 16.1) | 1.00 | 1.00 | 294, 179 | 1.7 (1.2 to 2.4) | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1732, 1640 |
| Urban area | 10.0 (8.3 to 12.0) | 0.95 (0.56 to 1.62) | 1.07 (0.64 to 1.79) | 1473, 915 | 2.6 (2.2 to 3.0) | 1.57 (1.06 to 2.35) | 1.44 (0.97 to 2.13) | 6466, 5520 |
| Internet access at home | p=0.1778 | p=0.0820 | p=0.1204 | p=0.4433 | ||||
| No | 6.7 (3.5 to 12.5) | 1.00 | 1.00 | 212, 109 | 1.6 (1.0 to 2.7) | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1048, 801 |
| Yes | 10.5 (8.8 to 12.4) | 1.63 (0.80 to 3.30) | 1.84 (0.93 to 3.65) | 1552, 985 | 2.5 (2.1 to 2.9) | 1.55 (0.89 to 2.69) | 1.25 (0.71 to 2.18) | 7136, 6345 |
| Sexual identity | p=0.0003 | p=0.0001 | p<0.0001 | p<0.0001 | ||||
| Heterosexual/straight | 9.3 (7.8 to 11.2) | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1671, 1035 | 2.2 (1.9 to 2.6) | 1.00 | 1.00 | 7918, 6949 |
| Gay/lesbian | – | – | – | Too small to report | 6.1 (2.7 to 13.3) | 2.88 (1.24 to 6.67) | 2.69 (1.16 to 6.24) | 92, 75 |
| Bisexual | 22.1 (12.6 to 35.9) | 2.75 (1.36 to 5.55) | 3.44 (1.69 to 6.97) | 65, 41 | 10.8 (6.5 to 17.4) | 5.3 (2.99 to 9.42) | 4.15 (2.32 to 7.43) | 150, 102 |
| Relationship status at time of interview | p=0.1637 | p=0.0340 | p<0.0001 | p<0.0001 | ||||
| Married/civil partnership | 7.0 (3.2 to 14.7) | 1.00 | 1.00 | 118, 127 | 0.6 (0.4 to 1.0) | 1.00 | 1.00 | 3089, 3685 |
| Living with partner | 7.33 (3.6 to 14.3) | 1.06 (0.35 to 3.20) | 1.78 (0.59 to 5.42) | 195, 140 | 1.2 (0.6 to 2.2) | 1.95 (0.89 to 4.29) | 1.65 (0.75 to 3.60) | 1311, 1044 |
| In a ‘steady’ ongoing relationship but not living together | 9.1 (6.7 to 12.3) | 1.34 (0.55 to 3.24) | 2.46 (1.00 to 6.05) | 627, 341 | 4.8 (3.7 to 6.4) | 8.4 (4.81 to 14.67) | 6.72 (3.81 to 11.87) | 1375, 797 |
| Not in a ‘steady’ relationship | 12.1 (9.9 to 14.8) | 1.84 (0.79 to 4.32) | 3.14 (1.34 to 7.36) | 820, 483 | 5.9 (4.9 to 7.0) | 10.33 (6.21 to 17.17) | 9.65 (5.84 to 15.93) | 2371, 1599 |
| Health behaviours | ||||||||
| Average alcohol consumption, per week†† | p=0.9375 | p=0.7692 | p=0.1540 | p=0.0296 | ||||
| None | 9.5 (6.5 to 13.8) | 1.00 | 1.00 | 393, 265 | 1.9 (1.4 to 2.6) | 1.00 | 1.00 | 2607, 2296 |
| Not more than recommended | 10.2 (8.3 to 12.5) | 1.08 (0.68 to 1.71) | 1.12 (0.70 to 1.77) | 1045, 633 | 2.4 (2.0 to 2.8) | 1.25 (0.87 to 1.80) | 1.23 (0.86 to 1.77) | 4610, 4040 |
| More than recommended | 10.5 (6.8 to 15.9) | 1.11 (0.59 to 2.08) | 1.26 (0.67 to 2.37) | 318, 191 | 3.8 (2.7 to 5.4) | 2.03 (1.25 to 3.29) | 1.91 (1.18 to 3.08) | 950, 799 |
| Current smoker | p=0.1921 | p=0.4816 | p=0.0147 | p=0.0821 | ||||
| No | 10.9 (8.9 to 13.3) | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1060, 692 | 2.2 (1.8 to 2.6) | 1.00 | 1.00 | 5878, 5426 |
| Yes | 8.7 (6.6 to 11.15) | 0.78 (0.54 to 1.13) | 0.87 (0.60 to 1.28) | 707, 402 | 3.1 (2.4 to 3.9) | 1.45 (1.08 to 1.95) | 1.31 (0.97 to 1.77) | 2320, 1733 |
| Drug use, past year | p=0.0658 | p=0.0015 | p<0.0001 | p<0.0001 | ||||
| None | 9.3 (7.6 to 11.3) | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1381, 876 | 2.1 (1.7 to 2.4) | 1.00 | 1.00 | 7395, 6644 |
| Yes, cannabis only | 10.8 (6.5 to 17.4) | 1.19 (0.66 to 2.15) | 1.64 (0.90 to 3.00) | 204, 120 | 5.3 (3.3 to 8.4) | 2.66 (1.57 to 4.49) | 2.09 (1.21 to 3.62) | 440, 288 |
| Yes, drugs other than cannabis | 16.8 (10.6 to 25.6) | 1.97 (1.11 to 3.51) | 2.8 (1.56 to 5.01) | 178, 96 | 8.9 (5.7 to 13.7) | 4.66 (2.79 to 7.77) | 3.58 (2.11 to 6.07) | 338, 207 |
*Adjusted for age.
‡Unweighted, weighted.
§National Statistics Socio-economic Classification.17
¶IMD is a multidimensional measure of area-level deprivation based on participants’ postcode: IMD scores for England, Scotland and Wales were adjusted before being combined and assigned to quintiles, using a method by Payne and Abel.18
**Rural <10 000, urban >10 000.
††Recommended alcohol limits (21 units/week for men and 14 units/week for women) as defined by Royal College of Physicians.19
IMD, Index of Multiple Deprivation.