Health Locus of Control, Sexual Self-Concept, Self-Efficacy and the Contraceptive Behavior of College Students

The purpose of the following study was to determine whether contraceptive use could be predicted from health locus of control, contraceptive self-efficacy, and sexual self-concept scores in a selected group of single college students ages 18-24. In order to better understand contraceptive behaviors, it is desirable to determine which personality variables may influence contraceptive behavior in young adults. A sample of 122 single undergraduate college students, both male and female, ages 18-24, completed a self-reported questionnaire including tools to measure health locus of control, contraceptive self-efficacy, and sexual self-concept, as well as demographic data. The participants were divided into two groups based on the consistency of their self-reported contraceptive use. One research hypothesis was tested. Utilizing Pearson correlations, a significant positive correlation was found between sexual self-concept and contraceptive self-efficacy. The results of multiple regression demonstrated that the consistency of contraceptive use can not be predicted from knowledge of sexual self-concept, contraceptive self-efficacy, and health locus of control scores