Effect of Sexual Education Program on Female College Student's Sexual Knowledge and Sexual Autonomy

Nami Chun

doi:10.4069/kjwhn.2012.18.2.108

Journal List > Korean J Women Health Nurs > v.18(2) > 1089414

Go to TopGo to Top Go to BottomGo to Bottom

TOOLS

Chun: Effect of Sexual Education Program on Female College Student's Sexual Knowledge and Sexual Autonomy

Original Article

Korean Journal of Women Health Nursing

Korean Journal of Women Health Nursing 2012; 18(2): 108-116.

Published online: 30 June 2012

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4069/kjwhn.2012.18.2.108

Effect of Sexual Education Program on Female College Student's Sexual Knowledge and Sexual Autonomy

Nami Chun

College of Nursing, Sungshin Women's University, Seoul, Korea.

Corresponding author: Chun, Nami. College of Nursing , Sungshin Women's University, Woonjung Green Campus, 55, 76 Ga-gil, Dobong-ro, Gangbuk-gu, Seoul 142-732, Korea. Tel: +82-2-920-7523, Fax: +82-2-920-2092, nmchun@sungshin.ac.kr

Received 18 April 2012 Revised 23 May 2012 Accepted 11 June 2012

(open-access):

This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of the sexual education program on female college students' sexual knowledge and sexual autonomy.

Methods

The integrative 5-week (15 hour) sexual education program reflecting control and coping aspects of sexual autonomy was developed based on self-determination theory. 59 female students were assigned to the experimental (n=29) and the control group (n=30). Students completed the sexual knowledge and the sexual autonomy questionnaires at prior to the program, right after and 10 weeks after the completion of the program. Independent t-test were used to test the effectiveness of the program.

Results

Significant group differences were found on sexual autonomy score right after and 10weeks after the completion of the program. No significant group differences were found on sexual knowledge at any time after the program completion.

Conclusion

The results indicate that the 5-week Sexual Education Program was effective in increasing female college students' sexual autonomy. Nursing professors majoring women's health nursing may contribute to improving college students' sexual autonomy by opening the sexual education program as a general elective curriculum. Strategies to improve sexual knowledge need to be considered for better effectiveness of the program.

Keywords: Sexual, Program, Knowledge, Autonomy

Figures and Tables

Figure 1

Research design.

Exp.=experimental group; Cont.=control group; Ye₁=experimental group pre-test; Ye₂=experimental group post-test right after completion of intervention; Ye₃=experimental group post-test 10 weeks after completion of intervention; Yc₁=control group pre-test; Yc₂=control group post-test at the same period as Ye2; Yc₃=control group post-test at the same period passed as Ye₃; X=5 weeks sexual education program.

Figure 2

Conceptual framework of sexual education program.

Table 1

Program Outline

Table 2

General Characteristics and Homogeneity between Experimental and Control Group (N=59)

Exp.=experimental group; Cont.=control group.

^†Fisher's exact test.

Table 3

Differences in Variables between Experimental and Control Groups over Time (N=59)

Exp.=experimental group; Cont.=control group; adj. M=adjusted Mean.

^†ANCOVA analysis after adjusting pre-test sexual knowledge as a covariate.

Notes

This study was supported by Sungshin Women's University research grant of 2010.

Summary Statement

▪ What is already known about this topic?

Importance of appropriate sexual education program for college students especially for female students have been addressed to increase their sexual knowledge and autonomy.

▪ What this paper adds?

The integrative 5-week (15 hour) sexual education program reflecting control and coping aspects of sexual autonomy was developed based on self-determination theory and it's effect was analyzed.

▪ Implications for practice, education and/or policy

Nursing professors majoring women's health nursing may contribute to improving college students' sexual autonomy by opening the sexual education program as a general elective curriculum.

References

1. Barber BK, Schluterman JM. Connectedness in the lives of children and adolescents: A call for greater conceptual clarity. Journal of Adolescent Health. 2008. 43:209–216. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2008.01.012.

2. Center for Disease Control. Status of HIV/AIDS infection as of December, 2010. 2010. Retrieved April 12, 2012. from http://www.cdc.go.kr/kcdchome/jsp/diseasedic/dic/DISEDIC0001Detail.jsp?menuid=512050&contentid=7667&boardid=null&appid=kcdcdz01&pageNum=null&sub=null&tabinx=1&q_had01=A&q_had02=2012&idxType=0&idxNum=8.

3. Chang SB. Development of sexual autonomy measurement for college students. Korean Journal of Women Health Nursing. 2002. 8:106–115.

4. Choi MS, Ha NS. A study on knowledge, attitude, and experience in sex and sexual autonomy of college students. Korean Journal of Women Health Nursing. 2004. 10:318–330.

5. Han YR. The effects of AIDS education on baccalaureate nursing students. Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing. 2001. 31:467–476.

6. Hur MH, Ahn HY, Kwak EA, Kim KM, Park JY, Lee JIR. A study on sexual behavior, and correlation between knowledge of contraception and attitude of contraception among university students. Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing. 2007. 37:267–275.

7. Jeon GS, Lee HY, Rhee SJ. Sexual knowledge, attitude and behaviors of Korea college students and effect of sexual education on sexual knowledge and attitudes. Journal of Korean Society for Health Education and Promotion. 2004. 21:45–68.

8. Lee IS, Jeon MY, Kim YH, Jung MS. Knowledge in sex and need of sex education among community college students. Journal of Korean Academy of Community Health Nursing. 2000. 14:382–395.

9. Liverpool J, McGhee M, Lollis C, Beckford M, Levine D. Knowledge, attitudes, and behavior of homeless African-American adolescents: Implications for HIV/AIDS prevention. Journal of the National Medical Association. 2002. 94:257–263.

10. Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. Status of unmarried mother and needs assessment. 2005. Retrieved April 12, 2012. from http://www.mogef.go.kr/korea/view/policy/policy02_05a.jsp?func=view&idx=4192.

11. Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. Revision of women's development act (11th). 2008. Retrieved February 2, 2012. from http://www.mogef.go.kr/korea/view/policy/policy03_02e.jsp?func=view&idx=3706.

12. Ministry of Health and Welfare. National survey on trends of induced abortion. 2011. Retrieved April, 2012. from http://www.mohw.go.kr/front/jb/.

13. Ott MA, Millstein SG, Ofner S, Halpern-Felsher BL. Greater expectations: Adolescents' positive motivations for sex. Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health. 2006. 38:84–89.

14. Parkes A, Henderson M, Wight D, Nixon C. Is parenting associated with teenagers' early sexual risk-taking, autonomy and relationship with sexual partners? Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health. 2011. 43:30–40. http://dx.doi.org/10.1363/4303011.

15. Ryan RM, Deci EL. Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist. 2000. 55:68–78. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.55.1.68.

16. Shin YH, Chun YK, Cho SM, Cho YR. The effect of sex education program on knowledge related to sexually transmitted diseases and sexual autonomy among university students. Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing. 2005. 35:1304–1313.

17. Soenens B, Vansteenkiste M, Lens W, Luyckx K, Goossens L, Beyers W, et al. Conceptualizing parental autonomy support: Adolescent perceptions of promotion of independence versus promotion of volitional functioning. Developmental Psychology. 2007. 43:633–646. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.43.3.633.

18. Whang IM. A study of Korean students' sexual knowledge, self-regulation, attitude, and their perception of unwed pregnancy. 2009. Daejeon: Eulji University;Unpublished master's thesis.

19. Wight D, Parkes A, Strange V, Allen E, Bonell C, Henderson M. The quality of young people's heterosexual relationships: A longitudinal analysis of characteristics shaping subjective experience. Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health. 2008. 40:226–237. http://dx.doi.org/10.1363/4022608.

20. World Health Organization. Sexual health. 2010. Retrieved October 25, 2010. from http://www.who.int/topics/sexual_health/en/.

21. Zimmer-Gembeck MJ, Helfand M. Ten years of longitudinal research on U.S. adolescent sexual behavior: Developmental correlates of sexual intercourse, and the importance of age, gender and ethnic background. Developmental Review. 2008. 28:153–224. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.dr.2007.06.001.

TOOLS

Similar articles