The role of cues,self-efficacy,level of worry,and high-risk behaviors in college student condom use

A sample of 879 undergraduate students were recruited from a public university in western New York state during the 1993-94 academic year in order to study condom use among sexually active young people 18-24 years old. A 104-item questionnaire was administered consisting of 5 instruments and single-item measures of sexual behavior and demographics. The instruments were: the Condom Use Self-Efficacy Scale (CUSES), the Perceived Barriers to Condom Use, the Perceived Susceptibility to HIV/AIDS and other STDs, the Cues to Condom Action Scale, and the Perceived Norms scale. 92% of students reported having had sexual intercourse in the past, while 86.75 reported having sexual intercourse in the previous year. About 61% reported having 1 sex partner in the previous 12 months, whereas 35.2% reported having 3 or more partners. 22.4% reported 2 or more 1-night stands. 54.5% reported worrying about HIV/AIDS occasionally, while 23.1% reported doing so frequently. 17.2% (99) of the students were classified as non-users of condoms, 50.2% (289) as sporadic users, and 32.6% (188) as consistent users. 78 (12%) could not be classified. A multiple discriminant function analysis was also conducted to distinguish among the 3 condom user groups totalling 576 cases. The variables were age, gender, frequency of drunkenness during sexual intercourse, number of sex partners, and number of 1-night stands in the past 12 months, perceived barriers, worrying about HIV/AIDS, perceived susceptibility, condom use self-efficacy, and cues to condom action. Two significant functions emerged. Function 1 clearly separated the sporadic users from the consistent users (p 0.001), while Function 2 clearly separated the sporadic users from the non-users (p 0.001). The discriminating variables correctly classified 64.58% of the respondents into the 3 condom user groups. The variables were most effective at correctly classifying non-users (68.7%), consistent users (67.8%), and sporadic users (61.2%). Sporadic users were more diverse with respect to condom use than the other 2 groups.     

School support groups,other school factors,and the safety of sexual minority adolescents

Sexual minority adolescents—those self‐identifying as lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) or with same‐sex desires or sexual experiences—report higher rates of victimization and suicidality than their heterosexual peers, yet little empirical research has examined school factors associated with these risks. This study used data from the Massachusetts Youth Risk Behavior Survey (Massachusetts Department of Education, 2000), matched with school‐level data from state records and school principals, to compare the safety of 202 sexual minority adolescents in 52 schools with and without support groups for LGB students, to investigate the relationship between perceived staff support and safety, and to explore other school factors associated with victimization and suicidality among these youth. As hypothesized, sexual minority adolescents in schools with LGB support groups reported lower rates of victimization and suicide attempts than those in other schools. Victimization and perceived staff support predicted suicidality. Several additional school factors were associated with the safety of sexual minority students. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 43: 573–589, 2006.     

Contraception and condom use among two samples of university students: 1982 and 1992

8% of all individuals residing in the US have tested positive for infection with HIV. This study reports the use of condoms and others forms of contraception in two samples of students from East Carolina University. 234 students in 1982 taking a course in marriage and family responded to a 32-item questionnaire distributed in five classes on whether they had used contraception during their most recent episode of sexual intercourse and which method they used. 96% of the respondents were never married, 83% white, and 82% middle class. 7% were engaged to be married and 3% were cohabiting. 53.4% were women and in their junior or senior year (52.5%) of undergraduate education. While the sample was not random, it closely approximated the demographic characteristics of the university from which it was drawn. 79.1% reported using some form of contraception, with 61.8% using the pill and 15.3% using the condom. Of those who used a form of contraception, 8.1% reported using withdrawal and 1.5% rhythm. Fifty university students were again sampled in 1992 in a marriage and family class to find 76% reporting use of contraception during their last episode of sexual intercourse. The percentage of students which reported using a condom, however, increased to 39%. These findings add to the body of research literature which suggests that condom use has increased over the past decade. Further research is, however, warranted to determine whether these data reflect an actual increase in condom use or are simply the result of students providing socially desirable answers.     

Sexual abuse among female high school students in Istanbul, Turkey

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to determine the prevalence of sexual abuse in female adolescents in Istanbul, Turkey from data collected as part of a school-based population study on health and health behaviors. METHOD: A stratified cluster sampling procedure was used for this cross-sectional study. The study sample included 1,955 randomly selected 9th through 11th grade female students attending 26 randomly-selected high schools in Istanbul. A self-report questionnaire was administered anonymously in the classroom. Information on sexual abuse history was collected through the questions investigating "touching" and "intercourse." RESULTS: Of 1,955 female students, 1,871 (95.7%) provided answers to the questions addressing unwanted sexual experience. Of these, 250 (13.4%) reported sexually abusive experiences. Two hundred and thirteen (11.3%) students reported that someone touched their private parts in a way they did not like; 91 (4.9%) reported they were forced to have sexual intercourse; 54 (3.0%) reported both types of sexual abuse. Incest was reported by 1.8% of the subjects. Ninety-three percent of the perpetrators were reported to be male. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first reported school-based study to determine the prevalence of sexual abuse in Turkey. The results show that at least 13.4% of female high school students disclosed having experienced sexual abuse during childhood.     

Identity Issues for Hard-of-Hearing Adolescents Aged 11, 13, and 15 in Mainstream Setting

This study examined identity issues and aspects of the health behaviors of mainstreamed hard-of-hearing (HOH) students aged 11, 13, and 15 compared with their peers. A sample of 52 HOH students was matched with 470 peers of the same age, gender, and ethnicity. A survey based on the World Health Organization Health Behaviours of School Aged Children was administered and the results of the hearing and the HOH groups compared. Although there were few statistically significant differences, there were indications that the HOH students more often experienced a sense of loneliness than their hearing peers did. The majority of HOH students (55.8%) did not self-identify as having a hearing disability. When examined by the willingness to self-identify, the reported frequencies of loneliness and bullying were statistically significant. These findings support the view that the school experience of a significant number of mainstreamed HOH students is not supportive. Those students who do self-identify are physically and psychologically more at risk. The reluctance to self-identify may reflect the prevalence of negative stigma.     

The attitude towards nature,and incidence of sexual intimacy among students at a South African University

The authors, of the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa, surveyed 60 male university students of mean age 21.37 years and 79 female students of mean age 20.13 years with the goal of gaining insight into their sex behavior and their attitudes toward sexuality. The home language of 83% of the women and 85% of the men was Afrikaans, while the remaining subjects had English as a home language. One student was married, three were engaged to be married, and two lived together with a person of the opposite sex. 51 students were in steady relationships and 82 were single. 82% of the men and 90% of the women choose to have sex with someone of the same race. The study found a relatively low occurrence of sexual intercourse and promiscuity, and a very high percentage of subjects regarded themselves as heterosexual and as morally and religiously conservative. 97% of the men and 99% of the women regarded themselves as being heterosexual, and 3% of men and 1% of women regarded themselves as being bisexual. 6.6% of men and 1.34% of women, however, reported having had sexual contact with someone of the same sex. 37% of the men and 32% of the women reported having ever had sexual intercourse with a person of the opposite sex. These percentages are notably lower than those found by other investigators and the authors believe that a higher proportion of students at the university are actually sexually active than that suggested by this survey's findings. Among those sexually active, 17% of men and 18% of women were involved in sexual relationships with more than one partner. 68% of the sexually active men and women report using condoms often, 14% of men and 8% of women use contraceptives on an irregular basis, and 18% of men and 25% of women never use contraceptives. The birth control pill and condom were the most widely used methods. 85% of men and 86% of women felt that both partners should be responsible for taking precautions against unwanted pregnancy. These findings indicate that the overwhelming majority of subjects in this study are not at high risk for contracting AIDS.     

Academic misconduct among teacher education students: A descriptive-correlational study

Results of a study to determine the extent to which teacher education students perceive their student peers to engage in various forms of academic misconduct are reported. A thirty-seven-item instrument was used to collect data from ninety-seven teacher education students at a southern comprehensive university. Items addressed the frequency of various cheating behaviors, the perceived maturity level of the persons most likely to cheat, and the degree to which respondents felt cheaters “neutralized” their cheating behaviors. Although cheating was not perceived as a major problem among teacher education students, a definite relationship between perceived neutralization and academic misconduct was noted.     

大学生领悟性社会支持与网络成瘾的关系:孤独感的中介作用

为探讨大学生孤独感、领悟性社会支持和网络成瘾之间的关系,采用大学生孤独感量表(UCLA)、领悟性社会支持量表(PSSS)和中文网络成瘾量表(CIAS)对1200名大学生进行问卷调查发现:网络成瘾与孤独感呈显著正相关,与领悟性社会支持的各因子呈显著负相关;孤独感与领悟性社会支持各因子存在显著的负相关。中介效应依次检验结果表明:在大学生领悟性社会支持和网络成瘾的关系中,孤独感具有完全中介效应。     

Prevalence of childhood sexual abuse among incarcerated males in county jail

OBJECTIVE: The current study examined the prevalence and characteristics of childhood sexual abuse in a jailed-based population. METHODOLOGY: A retrospective, self-reported survey was administered over an 8-week period to a random sample of 100 men who were incarcerated in a county jail in Southeastern Texas. The survey included questions about childhood sexual experiences before and after puberty, drug history and use, and sexual risk-taking behaviors. RESULTS: Of the 100 male inmates who participated in this study, 59% reported experiencing some form of sexual abuse before puberty, and all such instances occurred before or at the age of 13 years. The first episode of childhood sexual abuse began at an average age of 9.6 years (SD = 2.4), and ended at an average age of 13.0 years (SD = 2.3). Kissing and touching without intercourse (64%) was the common pattern of sexual abuse experience reported. The total number of perpetrators was 165, with 10% male and 90% female. Friends (n = 72) and family (n = 56) were the most frequent perpetrators. CONCLUSION: Childhood sexual abuse may be more prevalent among inmates than among males in the general population. These results show a high percentage of inmates who report a history of childhood sexual abuse; this rate is higher than those reported by other studies for incarcerated males. The findings support the belief held by professionals in the criminal justice field that a significant number of incarcerated males may have been victims of sexual abuse.     

Reciprocal Nominations,Reciprocal Rejections and Loneliness among Students with Learning Disorders

The study examined the relations between reciprocal nominations, reciprocal rejections and loneliness among children with learning disorders. The sample consisted of 238 Israeli students: 110 students with learning disorders (LD) and 128 students with no LD (NLD) drawn from 2nd to 6th Grades (ages: M = 9.83 years, SD = 1.35). Participants were assessed on: loneliness, sense of coherence, friendship quality, reciprocal friendship and reciprocal rejection nominations. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed that loneliness experience was significantly predicted by sense of coherence, peer reciprocal rejection and conception of friendship qualities. Students with LD who had at least one reciprocal rejection with a classmate felt more lonely and less coherent than did their NLD peers. Within the LD group, those children who had at least one reciprocal rejection with a classmate felt more lonely and less coherent than did LD children who had no reciprocal rejection. Such significant within‐group differences were not found in the NLD group. The discussion emphasises the importance of the examination of intra‐ and interpersonal variables in the understanding the loneliness experience among LD children, with special focus on the role of reciprocal negative nominations.     

大学生性观念调查与分析

通过对中国某大学学生性观念的调查研究,得以较真实地了解当前中国大学生的性观念和性心理现状及特征,为中国大学生性心理健康教育提供依据,以协助学校开展学生工作。采取随机抽样的方式对该校的415名大学生进行不记名的自填式问卷调查,并分析调查结果。调查显示,性别、家乡、年级、父母受教育程度、父母婚姻状况、婚前性行为状况等各方面在一些有关性行为的态度问题上都有显著性的差异。研究认为大学生的性行为问题日益普遍,学校应根据学生性观念和性心理现状所显示出的特征进行有针对性的引导和教育。     

校园安全与校园性骚扰 ——一项基于北京高校的调查研究

本研究基于对12所北京高校4381名学生的问卷调查数据,采用交叉分析和多值逻辑回归的方法探究校园安全与校园性骚扰之间的关系。研究发现,学生对夜晚学校不同场所安全状况的感知低于白天,在控制相关变量的情况下,学生对夜晚校园安全状况的感知与遭受性骚扰的频率之间具有显著的负向关系。同时,居住在校内的学生较之居住在校外的学生更不容易成为性骚扰行为的受害者,这说明高校的安全保卫对预防校园性骚扰有着积极的作用。此外,男生相对于女生更容易成为性骚扰行为的频繁受害者。基于这些研究发现,本文从学校和学生两个方面提出了建设平安校园和性别平等校园的建议。     

Early, late and non-participants in sexual intercourse: A profile of black South African first-year university students

This study investigated the differences among early-, late-and non-participants in sexual intercourse. 1817 first-year black South African university students completed a structured questionnaire, which tapped their knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and practices about sexuality. The results revealed significant differences among the three groups with regard to their sources of sexual knowledge, approval of pre-marital sex, first intercourse partner relationship, number of sexual partners, contraceptive use, satisfaction with first sexual intercourse and parental communication about contraception.     

大学生孤独感状况及其应对方式特点的调查分析

对大连市4所高校的424名学生进行问卷调查,了解大学生孤独感现状和应对方式的特点,以及不同孤独感程度学生的应对方式的差异。结果显示:大学生孤独感程度与应对方式有显著差异,中、低孤独感学生的成熟应对方式得分高于高孤独感学生,其不成熟方式得分低于高孤独感学生,孤独感水平与应对方式各分量表得分显著相关。     

Transition, induction and goal achievement: first-year experiences of Hong Kong undergraduates

Educators worldwide are faced with challenges of understanding how undergraduates are making their school-to-university transition and becoming inducted into their academic discipline. A recent study investigated Hong Kong first-year Chinese students?? experiences of transition from school to university and induction into their discipline in relation to perceived course experiences, approaches to study and achievement of goals. Analysis of the survey data of this study indicates that although students reported transition difficulties, these were unrelated to perceptions of the course, approaches to study or achievement of goals. Students who reported good understanding of their discipline were those who achieved their goals, had a good course experience and adopted deeper study approaches. These findings suggested that rather than focusing mainly on tackling students?? transition difficulties, efforts of promoting a positive first-year experience for Chinese university students and facilitating their goals achievement should be oriented towards constructing a facilitative learning environment.     

Rationality, Information Search and Choice in Higher Education: Evidence from Greece

The paper presents the findings of a study of the decision-making process which precedes the choice of a university in Greece. Specifically, the degree of rationality exhibited by prospective students is assessed in an attempt to provide a test for the economic approach to the explanation of human behaviour. Information search is used as an indication of rationality and measured through a survey conducted among 220 university students in the academic year 2003/2004. The findings provide weak support for the rationality postulate in that they indicate that more than 40% of respondents could not be classified as information seekers. Logistic regression analysis was used in order to identify characteristics associated with the propensity to engage in information search: high socioeconomic status students, students who perceived the decision as important, and students who had acquired information prior to the choice of a university were found to be more likely to engage in information search. The paper draws attention to the limitations of the economic rational man model of human behaviour and discusses the implications of the findings for the promotional strategy of universities.     

The Influence of Loneliness and Interpersonal Relations on Latina/o Middle School Students’ Wellbeing

This study examined associations of loneliness and relationships (e.g., teacher/student relationships, peer support, and family support) with wellbeing among Latina/o middle school students. A hierarchical regression analysis demonstrated that age and loneliness predicted wellbeing; older students and students with high levels of loneliness reported higher wellbeing. The interaction effect between loneliness and peer support suggested that peer support was related with wellbeing only among students high in loneliness. Similarly, the interaction effect between loneliness and family support suggested that family support was associated with wellbeing only among students high in loneliness. Implications for addressing cultural determinants of wellbeing are provided.     

大学生微信使用强度与孤独感的关系研究

采用自编人口学问卷、孤独感量表(UCLA)、微信使用强度量表,对广东某医科院校400名在校生进行了调查,考察了大学生微信使用行为、孤独感情况,以及这两者之间的关系。结果表明:微信使用强度在不同性别、专业维度上差异显著;孤独感在情感状态、生源地维度上差异显著;微信使用强度与孤独感存在显著负相关,微信使用强度越高,孤独感越低。该研究为大学生微信使用强度和孤独感关联研究提供了实证依据。     

社会支持对大学生孤独感的影响研究

以探讨社会支持对大学生孤独感的影响,促进大学生社会支持系统的构建及良好情感品质的发展为目的,采用UCLA孤独量表、社会支持评定量表（SSRS）等方法,对498名大学生进行问卷调查。结果显示：在不同性别、是否独生、是否贫困、是否恋爱以及不同专业上的孤独感和社会支持差异显著;孤独感与各社会支持之间呈显著负相关;孤独感中高得分组、低得分组的各社会支持差异都达到显著水平。从而证明社会支持与孤独感呈显著负相关。应该引导大学生构建并利用社会支持系统,积极培养大学生的良好情感品质,从社会支持与情感品质角度促进其心理健康。