Factors Related to Sexual Risk Behavior of Students at the Demonstration School, Ramkhamhaeng University, Bangkok

Abstract

This research aimed to (1) study personal factors, predisposing factors, enabling factors, reinforcing factors and risk behaviors in sexual relations of students at Ramkhamhaeng University Demonstration School, Bangkok, and (2) to study the relationships between personal factors, predisposing factors, enabling factors, reinforcing factors and risk behaviors in sexual relations of students at Ramkhamhaeng University Demonstration School. The sample used in this research was 185 students in grade 9 from the Demonstration School, Ramkhamhaeng University. The study instrument was a questionnaire included 5 sections with contents of 1) personal data, 2) predisposing factors (knowledge, attitude to risk behaviors in sexual relations), 3) enabling factors (access to sexual stimulation media), 4) reinforcing factors (family sexual communication, parental control and supervision), and 5) risk behaviors in sexual relations. The reliability of the questionnaire was 0.859. Data were collected during 11 to 18 February 2019 and data were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as, percent, mean and standard deviation. Correlations were analysed by using Chi-square test and Pearson’s product moment correlation coefficient with sigfinicant level at p = 0.05. The results of this research revealed that most sample was male, (55.10%), having academic grades between 3.00 - 4.00 , (56.80%). Most students lived with their parents (74.50%), and received parents’ money about 100-200 Baht per day (80.50%). Knowledge, attitude towards risk behaviors for sexual relations (predisposing factors), and access to sexual stimulation media (enabling factors), were at a low level with 50.80%, 43.80%, and 51.40%, respectively. Family sexual communication was reported as high level, 39.50%. While the parental control and supervision and sexual risk behavior showed at the moderate level, with 44.30%, and 76.90%, respectively. Sex was associated with sexual risk behavior with statistical significance at the level of 0.05. Expenses received from parents and knowledge did not correlate with risk behavior for sexual relations (p> 0.05). Attitude towards risk behaviors for sexual relations and parental control and supervission were positively correlated with risk behavior for sexual relations (r = 0.146, r = 0.184, respectively) at the statistical significance level of 0.05. Media access to stimulate sexual emotions of students and family sexual communication were positively correlated with risk behaviors for sexual relations (r = 0.325, r = 0.206, respectively) at the statistical significance level of 0.05. The results of the research have suggestion that because the majority of the students had knowledge and attitude towards risk behaviors for sexual relations at low level, therefore, there should be education and teaching about sex education, including problems of premature sexual intercourse. The results of this research including those involved should be used in the planning and development of efficient activities for prevention of risk behaviors for sexual relations.