Correlations between Knowledge, Attitude, Personal Values, Traumatic Experiences, and Risky Sexual Behavior among Indonesian Adolescents
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26911/thejhpb.2026.11.03.11Abstract
Background: Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) remain a major public health concern among adolescents, with risky sexual behavior contributing to ongoing transmission and adverse sexual and reproductive health outcomes. Although knowledge, attitudes, personal values, and traumatic experiences have been identified as factors related to adolescent sexual behavior, evidence examining these factors simultaneously among Indonesian adolescents remains limited. This study aimed to examine the associations of knowledge, attitudes, personal values, and traumatic experiences with risky sexual behavior among Indonesian adolescents.
Subjects and Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 189 adolescents. Participants were recruited using multistage probability sampling technique. The dependent variable was risky sexual behavior. The independent variables were knowledge of STIs, attitudes toward reproductive health, personal values, and traumatic experiences. Data were collected using a structured self-administered questionnaire. Responses were categorized based on Rasch model analysis. Correlation between variables were analyzed using the Product Moment Pearson are test, and multivariat analysis used multiple regression linier. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05.
Results: A total of 189 adolescents participated in the study, and 55.1% were classified as having risky sexual behavior. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that traumatic experience was positively associated with sexual behavior (b= 0.15; 95% CI= 0.01 to 0.29; p= 0.049). No significant associations were found between knowledge (b= 0.10; 95% CI= −0.04 to 0.24; p= 0.162), attitude (b = −0.03; 95% CI = −0.40 to 0.34; p = 0.882), personal value (b= 0.07; 95% CI= −0.50 to 0.65; p = 0.803), and sexual behavior.
Conclusion: Attitudes toward reproductive health, personal values, and traumatic experiences were significantly associated with risky sexual behavior among Indonesian adolescents, whereas knowledge of STIs was not. These findings indicate that psychosocial factors should be considered alongside knowledge in understanding risky sexual behavior among adolescents.
Keywords:
Knowledge, Attitudes, Personal Values, Traumatic Experiences, Sexual Behavior
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References
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