Evaluating the Theory of Planned Behavior to explain intention to engage in premarital sex amongst Korean college students: a questionnaire survey.
BACKGROUND
To reduce risky adolescent sexual behavior, education programs must be tailored to specific cultures and stage of adolescence.


OBJECTIVE
This study describes the self-reported sexual behavior of Korean college students and examines the efficiency of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TpB) in explaining intention of engaging in premarital sex in order to provide insights for a potential sex education program designed to reduce risky sexual behavior.


METHODS
A cross-sectional, correlational design using an exploratory survey method was used.


METHODS
Participants were recruited from a university in Korea with a flyer posted at the entrance of the student health service center, and self-referral in 2004. Male and female unmarried college students aged 18 to 25 were included. Foreign students and students with visible physical problems were excluded. Three hundred and twenty of 550 students returned the questionnaire packets. Final data analysis included 298 students after deleting incomplete data.


METHODS
Participants completed six questionnaires: (1) Background and Sexual Behavior Questionnaire, including items related to perceived risk of sexual behavior, (2) Parent-Adolescent Communication Scale, and four scales related to TpB construct: (3) modified Premarital Sexual Attitude Scale, (4) Referent group Approval of Sex Behavior Scale, (5) Sexual Abstinence Efficacy Scale and (6) modified version of Doswell's Intention of Sexual Behavior Scale.


RESULTS
Premarital sexual attitude, abstinence self-efficacy and referent group norms were significant predictors of intention of premarital sex for male students with a large effect, but only attitude and norms predicted intention of premarital sex for female students.


CONCLUSIONS
The TpB may be an effective theory to guide the development of theory-driven sexual abstinence interventions to reduce risky sexual behavior for Korean males, while the Theory of Reasoned Action may be an effective theory for Korean females.
Cha
Eun Seok
ES
Chung-Ang University, # 506 Department of Nursing School of Medicine, 221 Heukseok-dong Dongjakgu, Seoul, 156-756, Republic of Korea. euc6@cau.ac.kr
Doswell
Willa M
WM
Kim
Kevin H
KH
Charron-Prochownik
Denise
D
Patrick
Thelma E
TE
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology; D003142:Communication; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D007723:Korea; D008297:Male; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D010287:Parent-Child Relations / Q000208:ethnology; D011582:Psychological Theory; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012309:Risk-Taking; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012737:Sex Factors; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D012945:Social Values / Q000208:ethnology; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014495:Universities