title: Psychological and behavioural factors associated with sexual risk behaviour among Slovak students.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Knowledge about the prevalence of sexual risk behaviour (SRB) in adolescence is needed to prevent unwanted health consequences. Studies on SRB among adolescents in Central Europe are rare and mostly rely on a single indicator for SRB. This study aims to assess the association of behavioural and psychological factors with three types of SRB in adolescents in Central Europe.
  
  
  METHODS
  We obtained data on behavioural factors (having been drunk during previous month, smoking during previous week, early sexual initiation), psychological factors (self-esteem, well-being, extroversion, neuroticism, religiousness), and SRB (intercourse under risky conditions, multiple sexual partners, and inconsistent condom use) in 832 Slovak university students (response 94.3%).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among those with sexual experience (62%), inconsistent condom use was the most prevalent risk behaviour (81% in females, 72% in males). With the exception of having been drunk in males, no factor was associated with inconsistent condom use. Regarding the other types of SRB, early sexual initiation was most strongly associated. In addition, other, mostly behavioural, factors were associated, in particular having been drunk.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results suggest that behavioural factors are more closely related to SRB than psychological factors. Associations differ by type of SRB and gender but offer few clues to target risk groups for inconsistent condom use. Results show a high need for health-promotion programmes in early adolescence that target SRB in conjunction with other health risk behaviours such as alcohol abuse.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, PO Box 30,001, 9700 RB Groningen, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ondrej
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kalina
authors.forename: Andrea M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Geckova
authors.forename: Pavol
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jarcuska
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Orosova
authors.forename: Jitse P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: van Dijk
authors.forename: Sijmen A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Reijneveld
mesh_terms: D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D011336:Probability; D011584:Psychology; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012737:Sex Factors; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012747:Sexual Partners / Q000523:psychology; D018154:Slovakia / Q000453:epidemiology; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult