Adolescents’ Social Norms across Family, Peer, and School Settings: Linking Social Norm Profiles to Adolescent Risky Health Behaviors

Yuan

et al. 2021

IJERPH

Sexual health education is an essential part of quality-oriented education for college students. It aims to help these students to acquire knowledge of sexual physiology, sexual psychology, and sexual social norms that is consistent with the maturity of the students. Along with college students’attitudes toward sex, their perceptions regarding sexual behavior have also undergone profound changes. The importance of safe sexual behavior, sexual taboos, and sexual autonomy are gaining increasing attention as Chinese society is becoming more open. For college students who have just reached adulthood and have full autonomy of themselves, however, are they really going to have sexual behavior without careful consideration? Or is it something they have planned to do in the first place? To answer the above questions, this study was conducted to understand the relationship between college students’ attitudes toward sex, subjective norms, and behavioral control of their sexual behavior intentions by applying the Theory of Planned Behavior. In this study, 460 valid questionnaires were collected from Chinese college students and analyzed with partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). This study analyzes the relationship of multiple factors, including those influencing college students’ sexual behavior intentions. Meanwhile, it also compares the differences in factors affecting sexual behavior intentions between college students with or without sexual experience and those of different genders. Based on the results of the study, it was found that, first, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control of college students had a significant effect on safe sexual behavior intentions, while attitudes did not have a significant effect on safe sexual behavior intentions. Second, the gender and sexual experience of college students had a significant effect on safe sexual behavior intentions. Third, non-sexually experienced college students were more likely to be influenced by external factors. Relevant future research suggestions will be proposed based on the results of this study. Finally, this study helps to provide substantive suggestions for enhancing safe sexual behavior among college students in the context of universal higher education, as well as strengthening the self-protection of college students and providing practical advice for the development of sex education in China.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Safe Sexual Behavior Intentions among College Students: The Construction of an Extended Theory of Planned Behavior

Yuan

et al. 2021

IJERPH

Journal of Advanced Nursing

“…Ajzen (1985) Subjective norm also has a direct positive effect on safe sex behaviours. The social norms of adolescent risky health behaviours was influenced by family, peer, and school settings (Wang, Chen, & Lee, 2019). Parent-child sexual communication has been identified as a protective factor for adolescent sexual and reproductive health, including HIV infection (Bastien, Kajula, & Muhwezi, 2011).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Safe sexual behaviors intention among female youth: The construction on extended theory of planned behavior

Tseng

Cheng

Kuo

et al. 2019

Aim To examine female youth's intentions for safe sex with the relationship partners based on the extended theory of planned behaviour (TPB) model and explore the direct and indirect impact of parent–child communication about sex, peer interaction related to sexual issues, and exposure to sexually explicit materials on female youth's safe sexual behaviour intentions. Design A non‐experimental, cross‐sectional research design. Methods A convenience sampling was employed for data collection and 731 female youth aged 15–24 years old were recruited in 2013–2014. An anonymous, self‐report structured questionnaire was used as a research instrument to collect participants' basic information and measure the internal and additional variables in the extended TPB model. Results The extended TPB model explained 42–45% of the total variance. Perceived behavioural control (PBC) and subjective norms had a positive effect on female youth's intentions for contraceptive use, condom use, and dual use with relationship partner; PBC was found to have the greatest influence. Among the additional variables in the extended TPB model, more parent–child communication about sex was found to lead to more positive dual use intentions. More peer interaction related to sexual issues was found to lead to less dual use intentions. Conclusions To improve female youth's sexual health, the priorities are to reinforce their PBC and subjective norms and enhance parent–child communication about sex. Future efforts should strengthen sex education in families and schools and shape a social environment that facilitates safe sex. Impact The extended TPB model can successfully predict female youth's safe sexual behaviour intentions. Empowering female youth to establish a sense of subjectivity and awareness of being a mature individual with physical autonomy, is importance for their sexual health.

Journal of Pediatric Nursing

“…The other item ("I tend to follow information about COVID-19 from my friends.") also had an I-CVI of 0.6, but it was not deleted because peer social norms have been found to be an important factor in adolescents' health behaviors (Wang et al, 2019). In addition, according to experts' opinions, the phrases were revised to be easy for teenagers to understand.…”

Section: Variables and Measurementsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors associated with preventive behaviors for COVID-19 among adolescents in South Korea

Park

2022

COVID-19's infection rate among adolescents is increasing; hence, it is important to prevent it as it can spread in the community through transmission in schools. It is crucial to determine the extent to which adolescents follow COVID-19 preventive measures and identify factors relating to such behaviors to implement more effective health education. This study aimed to understand factors related to COVID-19 preventive behaviors using the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and the health belief model (HBM) among adolescents in South Korea. Design and methods: A cross-sectional face-to-face questionnaire survey was conducted among 272 adolescents in South Korea. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the relationships between perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, intention, and COVID-19 preventive behaviors. Results: Among adolescents' COVID-19 preventive behavior scores, wearing masks was the highest and distancing was the lowest. Adolescents' adherence to COVID-19 preventive behaviors was directly or indirectly associated with their perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and intention. Conclusions: Attention to mitigate social isolation is important to improve compliance with COVID-19 preventive behaviors. Perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and intention explained 61.3% of adolescents' COVID-19 preventive behaviors, there is a need for education to promote relevant factors. Practice implications: To increase adolescent awareness of COVID-19 and increase attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavior control, nurses need to provide education including the evidence for COVID-19 preventive behavior to increase adolescents' understanding and active implementation of those behaviors.