Predictors of self-reported sexually transmitted infections among Turkish university students


SEYMENLER GÜLSOY S., Siyez E., Esen E., BARAN B., SİYEZ D. M.

JDDG - Journal of the German Society of Dermatology, vol.21, no.7, pp.751-758, 2023 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 21 Issue: 7
  • Publication Date: 2023
  • Doi Number: 10.1111/ddg.15107
  • Journal Name: JDDG - Journal of the German Society of Dermatology
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, CAB Abstracts, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Veterinary Science Database
  • Page Numbers: pp.751-758
  • Keywords: CHAID, Self report, sexually transmitted infections, university students
  • Middle East Technical University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Background and aim: Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are among the most crucial health problems that sexually active university students may encounter. This study aims to identify the predictors of self-reported STIs among university students. Methods: Study participants were 2,241 individuals who reported having had sexual intercourse among a cohort of 9,693 students surveyed from 21 Turkish universities. The age of participants ranged from 17 years to 28 years. Results: The Chi-Square Automatic Interaction Detection (CHAID) analysis indicated that gender was the main predictor of self-reported STI. Also, number of partners and substance use were found as predictor variables for males. Finally, the classification accuracy of the CHAID model was found to be 95.3% within the sample. Conclusions: The present findings shed light on risk factors for STI acquisition, suggesting possible directions for tailoring future preventive interventions.