Factors associated with sexual abstinence among out-of-school females in a transitional town in Oyo State, South-Western Nigeria

Abstract

One hundred and forty-three respondents participated in this cross-sectional study and 42 (29.4%) of them had never had sex. About 92% engaged in at least one leisure activity. Factors significantly associated with abstinence follow: living arrangement, type of occupation, mode of earning, self-esteem, alcohol use, and some leisure activities (p < .05). Factors predictive of abstinence were living with parents or other relatives, earning weekly and monthly wages as opposed to daily wages, high self-esteem, and reading of novels during leisure time. Intensified efforts are necessary to enhance the identified protective factors in order to promote abstinence among out-of-school females.