Psychosocial factors predicting risky sexual behaviour among long distance truck drivers in Lagos, Nigeria

Psychological Factors and Sexual Risk Behaviors: A Multidimensional Model Based on the Chilean Population

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a global health problem, with sexual risk behaviors (SRB) being the main routes of spreading the virus. Evidence indicates that different psychological factors influence SRB (e.g., attitude towards condoms, sexual self-concept, sexual sensation seeking, knowledge of sexual risk behaviors, risk perception). This study proposes an explanatory model of sexual risk behaviors in young people and adults. The sample consisted of 992 young people and adults aged between 18 and 35 years. The model presented good levels of fit (X² = 3311.433, df = 1471, CFI = 0.964, TLI = 0.959, RMSEA = 0.036), explaining 56% of the variance of sexual activity with multiple partners, 77% of the inadequate use of protective barriers, and 58.8% of sexual activity under the influence of alcohol or drugs from a set of psychological factors in self-report measures. The details of the results offer novel contextual evidence for the prioritization of prevention-oriented psychosocial interventions.

Sexual and reproductive health knowledge, sexual attitudes, and sexual behaviour of university students: Findings of a Beijing-Based Survey in 2010-2011

BACKGROUND

Although several studies have attempted investigating sex-related knowledge, attitudes, and practices among young people in China, deeper insights were still needed to further understand how this population could be supported to make healthy and safe sexual choices. Against this background, this study used a large set of secondary data to examine associations among sexual and reproductive health (SRH) knowledge, sexual attitudes, and sexual behaviour.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was employed to explore the associations among SRH knowledge, sexual attitudes, and sexual behaviour with a publicly available survey data among the 1196 university students from freshmen to Ph.D. candidates. Descriptive analysis was used to describe the sociodemographic characteristics of the university students by gender. Associations of sociodemographic factors with sources and categories of SRH knowledge, categories of contraceptive knowledge, sexual attitudes, and sexual behavior were explored with Poisson regressions and logistic regressions, respectively. The mediating effects of sociodemographic factors on the associations between SRH knowledge and sexual behavior, observed sexual attitudes on the associations of SRH knowledge with sexual behavior, and latent sexual attitudes on the relationship between SRH knowledge and sexual behavior were analyzed in order.

RESULTS

Descriptive analysis showed that the sample was dominated by age group (18 to 24 years), undergraduates, females, limited contraceptive knowledge, unfavorable sexual attitudes, and insufficient knowledge sources. Regression analyses showed that sociodemographic factors had significant associations with SRH knowledge, sexual attitudes, and sexual behavior. Subsequently, the mediating effects of sociodemographic factors on the associations of SRH knowledge and sexual attitudes with sexual behavior were confirmed. Controlling for sociodemographic factors, the effects of sexual attitudes on the associations between SRH knowledge and sexual behaviour could be verified. Structural equation modeling indicated that the linear sequence of sources and categories of SRH knowledge → sexual attitudes → sexual behaviour model and the triangle mediating effects of sexual behaviour → sexual attitudes → SRH knowledge model existed.

CONCLUSIONS

Sociodemographic factors and observed sexual attitudes mediated the associations between SRH knowledge and sexual behaviour. The sequence relationship: sources and categories of SRH knowledge → sexual attitudes → sexual behavior and the mediating relationship: sexual behavior → sexual attitude → sources and categories of SRH knowledge & sexual behavior → sources and categories of SRH knowledge and sexual behavior → sexual attitude → categories of contraceptive knowledge & sexual behavior → categories of contraceptive knowledge were confirmed in the sample. This study also identified an urgent need for the university students to access to SRH comprehensive knowledge.