Assessing the knowledge level, attitudes, risky behaviors and preventive practices on sexually transmitted diseases among university students as future healthcare providers in the central zone of Malaysia: a cross-sectional study

• Main Authors: Folasayo, Adigun Temiloluwa, Oluwasegun, Afolayan John, Samsudin, Suhailah, Saudi, Siti Nor Sakinah, Osman, Malina, Awang Hamat, Rukman
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute 2017
• Online Access: http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/60938/1/Assessing%20the%20knowledge%20level%2C%20attitudes%2C%20risky%20behaviors%20and%20preventive%20practices%20on%20sexually%20transmitted%20diseases%20among%20university%20students%20as%20future%20healthcare%20providers%20in%20the%20central%20zone%20of%20Malaysia%20a%20cross-sectional%20stu.pdf; http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/60938/; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5334713/pdf/ijerph-14-00159.pdf

This study was done to assess the knowledge, attitudes, risky behaviors and preventive practices related to sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs) among health and non-health sciences university students as future healthcare providers in Malaysia. A total of 700 health and non-health sciences university students (255 male; 445 female) aged between 17 and 30 years were surveyed by using a self-administered questionnaire. The majority (86.6%) had heard of STDs, and 50.4% knew STDs could present without symptoms. HIV remains the best known STD (83.6%) by the students, while chlamydia (26%) and trichomoniasis (21.0%) were rarely known. Gender, age group, educational level and faculty type were strongly associated with knowledge level (p-values < 0.05). Most of them (88.8%) were aware that STD screening was important while use of condoms was protective (63.8%). The majority of them strongly felt that treatment should be sought immediately if they (85.5%) and their partners (87.4%) have symptoms. Among the sexually-active students, 66.7% and 18% had sexual intercourse with multiple partners and commercial sex workers, while 17.4% and 9.4% took alcohol and drugs before having sex, respectively. By logistic regression analysis, students aged 24-30 years old (an odds ratio (AOR) = 0.57, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.377-0.859) and faculty type (AOR = 5.69, 95% CI = 4.019-8.057) were the significant predictors for the knowledge level. Knowledge on the non-HIV causes of STDs is still lacking, and the risky behavior practiced by the sexually-active students in this study is alarming. There is a need to revisit the existing STD education curriculum in both schools and universities so that appropriate intervention on STDs can be implemented.