Personality Traits as Predictors of Risky Sexual Behaviours among Undergraduates at Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka

Abstract

This study examined personality traits predictors of risky sexual behaviors among undergraduates. A total of Fifty (50) undergraduates who are currently studying in Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka participated in the study. They comprised of 27 (twenty-seven) males and 23 (twenty-three) females, whose age ranged from20 to 51, with the mean age of 31.12 and standard deviation of 6.31. Big Five Personality Inventory and Sexual Risk Survey Questionnaire were adopted as the instruments for the study. The study is a survey, it employed cross sectional design and linear regression was used for the hypothesis testing. One hypothesis which guided the study and states that personality traits will predict risky sexual behaviours among the undergraduates was rejected. The findings showed that personality traits (Openness, Consentiousness, Extraversion, Agreebleness and Emotionally Stability) did not predict risky sexual behaviors among undergraduates at t (.668), p<.508; t (-.593), p<556; t (.107), p<.915; t (-.195), p<.847 and t (-.681), p<.500 respectively. Based on the findings, it was recommended that concerned stakeholders should enlighten the youths more on sexual health education as majority of them are involved in risky sexual behaviors. This can be promoted through counseling and education programmes as well as suggested that other variables should be explored in research to identify the variables or factors that predict risky sexual behaviours among the undergraduates.