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. 2022 Mar 21;61(2):93-100.
doi: 10.2478/sjph-2022-0013. eCollection 2022 Jun.

Self-efficacy and Unwanted Sexual Intercourse: 'Reproductive Health Education Programme for High-school Students in Vojvodina'

Tanja Tomašević  1   2 , Snežana Ukropina  1   3 , Vesna Mijatović Jovanović  1   2 , Svetlana Kvrgić  1   2 , Sonja Čanković  1   2 , Dragana Milijašević  1   2
Affiliations

Self-efficacy and Unwanted Sexual Intercourse: 'Reproductive Health Education Programme for High-school Students in Vojvodina'

Tanja Tomašević et al. Zdr Varst. .

Abstract
in English, Slovenian

Introduction: Studies have shown the importance of self-efficacy in the domain of risky sexual behaviour. The aim of this study was to examine the association of unwanted sexual intercourse among secondary-school students with socio-demographic factors and perceived self-efficacy, and to assess the effectiveness of the programme on reproductive health.

Methods: The study involved 5,026 second-grade students in 72 high schools in the Province of Vojvodina, Serbia (APV). They were surveyed before and after the implementation of the extracurricular 'Reproductive health education programme for secondary-school students in APV'. A questionnaire consisting of 57 questions (socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge, attitudes, and behaviour of students regarding reproductive health, and a general self-efficacy scale) was used as the research instrument.

Results: One quarter of students had engaged in unwanted sexual intercourse on one or more occasions. Students with poor material status were twice as likely to engage in unwanted sexual intercourse (ОR=2.01; 95%CI=1.07-3.75) as students with average or good material status. Students who did not engage in unwanted sexual intercourse had a higher self-efficacy score than students who who did (t=2.903; p<0.01). After the programme was completed, there was an increase in general self-efficacy.

Conclusion: Poor material status is a predictor of unwanted sexual intercourse. Students who have a higher level of self-efficacy engaged to a lesser degree in unwanted sexual intercourse. The programme is effective in terms of increasing general self-efficacy, and can be applied to encourage responsible sexual behaviour.

Uvod: Študije so pokazale, kako pomembna je samoučinkovitost na področju tveganega spolnega vedenja. Cilj je bil raziskati povezavo med neželenimi spolnimi odnosi pri srednješolcih, socialno-demografskimi dejavniki in zaznano samoučinkovitostjo ter oceniti učinkovitost uvedenega programa zdravstvene vzgoje na področju reproduktivnega zdravja.

Metode: V študijo je bilo vključenih 5026 dijakov drugega letnika z 72 srednjih šol v avtonomni pokrajini Vojvodina v Srbiji (APV). Dijaki so pred uvedbo programa zunajšolskega izobraževanja »Zdravstvena vzgoja na področju reproduktivnega zdravja srednješolcev v APV« in po njej izpolnili anketo. Kot raziskovalni instrument je bil uporabljen vprašalnik s 57 vprašanji (socialno-demografske značilnosti, znanje, stališča in vedenje dijakov v zvezi z reproduktivnim zdravjem ter splošna lestvica samoučinkovitosti).

Rezultati: Vsak četrti dijak je imel enega ali več neželenih spolnih odnosov. Pri dijakih v slabem materialnem položaju je bila 2-krat večja verjetnost sodelovanja v neželenem spolnem odnosu (OR = 2,01; 95-% CI = 1,07–3,75) v primerjavi z dijaki v povprečnem ali dobrem materialnem položaju. Dijaki, ki niso sodelovali v neželenem spolnem odnosu, so imeli višji rezultat na lestvici samoučinkovitosti kot dijaki, ki so privolili v sodelovanje v neželenem spolnem odnosu (t = 2,903; p < 0,01). Po uvedbi programa se je splošna samoučinkovitost povečala.

Zaključek: Slab materialni položaj je dejavnik, ki napoveduje neželene spolne odnose. Dijaki z večjo samoučinkovitostjo so manj pogosto sodelovali v neželenem spolnem odnosu. Uvedeni program je učinkovit v smislu povečanja splošne samoučinkovitosti in ga lahko uporabimo za spodbujanje odgovornega spolnega vedenja.

Keywords: health education; programmes; reproductive health; self-efficacy; unwanted sexual intercourse.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest The authors report no conflicts of interest.

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