Cent Eur J Public Health 2018, 26(4):289-297 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a5195

Problematic and risky sexual behaviour under the influence of alcohol among university students

Benjamin Petruželka1, Miroslav Barták1,2, Vladimír Rogalewicz1, Jozef Rosina3, Petr Popov1, Beáta Gavurová4, Martina Čierna5, Ladislav Vaska6, Michaela Šavrnochová6, Martin Dlouhý7
1 Department of Addictology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
2 Department of Social Work, Faculty of Social and Economic Studies, Jan Evangelista Purkyně University, Ústí nad Labem, Czech Republic
3 Department of Health Care Disciplines and Population Protection, Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Kladno, Czech Republic
4 Centre for Applied Economic Research, Faculty of Management and Economics, Tomas Bata University in Zlín, Zlín, Czech Republic
5 Department of Social Work, Faculty of Education, Institute of Social Studies and Therapeutic Education, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
6 Department of Social Work, Faculty of Education, Matej Bel University, Banská Bystrica, Slovak Republic
7 Department of Econometrics, Faculty of Informatics and Statistics, University of Economics, Prague, Czech Republic

Objective: The objective of this research was to determine the prevalence of problematic and risky sexual behaviour after alcohol consumption and the correlation between this prevalence and sex, behavioural factors, problematic drinking, and alcohol consumption characteristics.

Methods: A survey of students was carried out at four faculties. Data were gathered via internet and self-administered paper-pencil questionnaires. The analysis employed Pearson's chi-squared test, gross odds ratios and logistic regression to calculate the adjusted odds ratios (OR) and their confidence interval (CI).

Results: Problematic drinking was detected by the CAGE test. Sixteen percent of students reached the CAGE score of 2, which indicates a potential threat of addiction, while 6% of students reached even higher problematic scores (3 or 4). Among those respondents who did drink alcohol, 23% had unprotected sex and 21% had sex which they later regretted. There were some differences between male and female respondents with men reporting more instances of risky behaviour. Among university students, problematic and risky sexual behaviour after alcohol use is associated with sex, the intensity of problematic drinking, first drunkenness, the place of alcohol use, and attitude to alcohol use.

Conclusions: Problematic drinking and risky sexual behaviour after alcohol consumption exist among students and deserve special attention and response in the form of suitable measures. Problematic and risky sexual behaviour after alcohol consumption among university students is associated with behavioural factors and characteristics of alcohol use that allow a targeted approach to preventive efforts.

Keywords: alcohol, alcohol-related harm, sex, sexual behaviour, student

Received: September 1, 2017; Revised: October 15, 2018; Accepted: October 15, 2018; Published: December 31, 2018  Show citation

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Petruželka B, Barták M, Rogalewicz V, Rosina J, Popov P, Gavurová B, et al.. Problematic and risky sexual behaviour under the influence of alcohol among university students. Cent Eur J Public Health. 2018;26(4):289-297. doi: 10.21101/cejph.a5195. PubMed PMID: 30660140.
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