Work

Typological classification of attitudes toward premarital sexual behavior among Chinese undergraduates

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Premarital sexual behavior (PSB) is a controversial topic in China. However, in recent times, changes in attitudes have led to PSB being more common among college students. This study investigated the attitudes of Chinese undergraduates toward PSB to identify whether a typological classification exists among them. METHODS: A total of 278 undergraduate students from two public universities in Mainland China completed a 17-item survey that included five dimensions( emotions, responsiveness, sexual health, sexual freedom, and condemnation) on attitudes toward PSB. Data were collected online from April 2023 to July 2023. RESULTS: The PSB questionnaire demonstrated good reliability and construct validity in this study, with a Cronbach's α of 0.759 and a KMO value of 0.769. Meanwhile, a series of models were estimated specifying one through five latent classes and three typologies on the attitude were identified: "Affective,""Avoidant," and "Open." After the best fitting model was determined, multiple analysis of variance testing of different factors such as gender, year of study and where one came from were found to have significant effects on attitude complexity (p < .01). CONCLUSION: This research will contribute to the dissemination of information on PSB in China, which will be helpful in understanding relevant issues associated with PSB.

Source: BMC Public Health

DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-20172-x

Authors: Yongtao Gan, Chang Liu, Jing Deng, Jiahao Zhang

Institution: Shantou University

Language: English

Topic: Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health

Subfield: General Health Professions

Field: Health Professions

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,190