Quantitative Assessment of Psychosocial Factors Associated with Risky Sexual Behaviour among Secondary School Adolescents in Delta State

Abstract

Risky sexual behaviour among adolescents remains a critical concern with implications for health, psychosocial development, and educational outcomes. Although peer influence, social media usage, and dressing practices are frequently cited as determinants of adolescent sexual behaviour, empirical evidence regarding their relative predictive relevance remains inconsistent, particularly within school-based populations in Delta State. This study quantitatively assessed the psychosocial predictors of risky sexual behaviour among secondary school adolescents in Delta State, Nigeria. A correlational research design was adopted, involving a sample of 600 students selected through multistage sampling procedures. Data were collected using a validated questionnaire measuring peer influence, social media usage, indecent dressing, and risky sexual behaviour. Construct validity was established through principal component analysis, while reliability indices were confirmed using Cronbach’s alpha coefficients. Data were analysed using regression statistics at the 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that social media usage demonstrated a statistically significant relationship with risky sexual behaviour, whereas peer influence and indecent dressing did not independently predict adolescents’ sexual risk-taking. Furthermore, the combined predictive model did not yield a statistically significant effect. These results suggest that adolescent risky sexual behaviour is influenced by selective psychosocial factors rather than a uniform set of commonly assumed predictors. The study concluded that risky sexual behaviour among secondary school adolescents in Delta State is not uniformly explained by commonly assumed psychosocial factors when subjected to rigorous quantitative assessment. It was recommended amongst others, that schools should integrate structured digital literacy and media education into the secondary school curriculum.