This article was downloaded by: [New York University] On: 09 February 2015, At: 22:53 Publisher: Routledge Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK
Journal of American College Health Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/vach20
Gender-Specific Changes in Students' Sexual Behaviors and Attitudes at a Southeastern University between 1973 and 1988 a
a
Patricia C. Dunn PhD , Sharon M. Knight PhD, CHES & Mary A. Glascoff EdD
a
a
Teach Health Education , East Carolina University , Greenville, NC, USA Published online: 09 Jul 2010.
To cite this article: Patricia C. Dunn PhD , Sharon M. Knight PhD, CHES & Mary A. Glascoff EdD (1992) Gender-Specific Changes in Students' Sexual Behaviors and Attitudes at a Southeastern University between 1973 and 1988, Journal of American College Health, 41:3, 99-104, DOI: 10.1080/07448481.1992.9936308 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07448481.1992.9936308
PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the “Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content. This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http:// www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-conditions
Downloaded by [New York University] at 22:53 09 February 2015
Gender-Specific Changes in Students’ Sexual Behaviors and Attitudes at a southeastern University Between 1973 and 1988 Patricia C. Dunn, PhD; Sharon M. Knight, PhD, CHES; and Mary A. Glascoff, EdD
Abstract. This study investigated the gender-specific, selfreported sexual behaviors and attitudes of never-married college students attending a southeastem university in 1973 and 1988. Data were collected by means of a mailed questionnaire that remained essentially unchanged for both years. The authors found that both men and women reported an increase in heterosexual relationshipsthat included sexual intercourse and a decrease in nonsexual relationships with the other gender. The majority of the students perceived themselves as adequately informed about sexuality and satisfied with their relationships, although the proportion of men who reported being satisfied with their relationships declined over the 15 years. The students indicated that sexuality education should focus primarily on information about AIDS and on preparation for marriage. Key Words: sexuality, sexuality eduction
T
he proportion of young Americans who engaged in premarital sexual intercourse reportedly increased steadily between the years 1970 and 1988.’ The changes in sexual attitudes and behaviors observed during the late 1%os and throughout the 1970s were so evident they were viewed as a sexual revolution.’ Associated with this sexual revolution was an increase in the level of sexual activity among adolescents and young adult^'*^^^ that reflected increased positive attitudes toward premarital sexual intercourse as well as an increased incidence of premarital sexual intercourse.’ To design effective sexuality-related health education programs and services that are relevant to college stu-
The authors all teach health education at East Carolina University in Greenville, NC: Patricia C. Dunn is a professor, and Shmon M. Knight and Mary A . G h c o f f are assistant profesSOTS.
VOL 41, NOVEMBER 1992
dents, health educators must know about the attitudes and behaviors of the target population. Because sexual behaviors and attitudes may vary considerably among institutions, the trends in students’ behaviors and attitudes over time at the same institution of higher learning may more clearly reflect actual changes within this population rather than the differences associated with disparate college-student populations.6 This study investigated the gender-specific, self-reported sexual behaviors and attitudes of never-married college students attending a southeastern university during the years 1973 and 1988. We collected the data for use in designing, implementing, and updating campuswide health education programs and student services so that the programs and services would more clearly reflect and address the current trends in college student behaviors and attitudes. Specifically, the study addressed two broad questions related to sexuality: (1) Have the gender-specific sexual practices of never-married college students, especially in terms of premarital sexual intercourse and dating behavior, changed over the 15-year period between 1973 and 1988? and (2) Have never-married college students’ perceptions about their satisfaction with sexual relationships and their perceived level of knowledge about sexuality changed over that 15-year period?
METHOD Random samples of 15% of the entire student population enrolled at a southeastern university during spring 1973 and spring 1988 were targeted for participation in the study. After review and approval of the study by the university’s Human Subjects Research Committee, we mailed a self-administered questionnaire to a computergenerated random sample of the student body for each of 99
Downloaded by [New York University] at 22:53 09 February 2015
COLLEGE HEALTH
the 2 years. The questionnaire designed for the 1973 study was also used in the 1988 study, except that one question dealing with AIDS was added to the 1988 survey. Return rates were 38% in 1973 (n = 438) and 22% in 1988 (n = 588). Except for the question on AIDS, all survey procedures were identical for both years. Although there was a difference in the response rate between the 1973 and 1988 surveys, we could not identify any apparent reason for the difference. The mailed questionnaire was completely anonymous; thus, we could not carry out additional follow-up efforts to increase the return response rate or make any attempt to assess nonrespondents. The demographics associated with the sample of students who returned completed questionnaires reflected those of the total university student body during the 2 years that the study was conducted.
We mailed the questionnaire to a randomly selected sample of the entire student body during the years 1973 and 1988. Students were informed about the purposes of the study and how the findings would be used. In addition, they were informed that their participation was voluntary and anonymous. To guarantee anonymity, we instructed students to remove their address labels from the questionnaires and to fold and staple the completed questionnaires so that the return address of the Office of Institutional Research at the university was displayed. Because the survey was anonymous, we conducted only one mailing.
Subjects
Analysis
This report is limited to the analysis of responses regarding the sexual behaviors and attitudes of nevermarried college students, who made up approximately 77% of the respondents for both years. The 1973 sample consisted of 395 students, 95% of whom were 18 to 21 years of age. Fifty-nine percent of the students in the 1973 sample were women (n = 233) and 41% were men (n = 162). The majority (97%) of the respondents were white, 1% were black, and 2% checked other. In terms of academic level, about 50% of the 1973 sample were in their first or second year, 45% were juniors or seniors, and the remainder were graduate students. The number sampled in 1988 was similar to that in the 1973 sample but, reflecting the changes that had occurred in the demographics of the university during the intervening 15 years, was somewhat different in terms of age, gender, race, and university classification. The 1988 survey yielded 399 responses from never-mamied students; 67% (n = 267) were women, 33% (n = 132) were men. Ninety percent of the respondents were 18 to 21 years of age. The majority of respondents (89%) in the 1988 survey were white, 8% were black, and 3% indicated other racial/ethnic groups. In terms of academic level, 42% of this cohort were in their first or second year, 47% were juniors or seniors, and the remainder were graduate students.
We used the Statistical Analysis System (SAS) to manage and analyze the data. Descriptive statistics included frequency tables that compared within-gender responses for each of the 2 years. Where applicable, we ran chi-square tests to determine the existence of significant differences within each gender when we compared the 1973 and 1988 data. The significance level we used w a s p < .05.
Instrument
The survey instrument we used during both years was originally developed in 1973 to assess college students' sexuality and drug-related attitudes and practices. The original instrument was developed in consultation with expert university faculty, who helped with instrument design and item content and reviewed existing instruments used for collecting similar data. The survey instrument was pretested twice with samples of college students who were similar to those who participated in the actual study and was revised after each pretest. The instrument consisted of 51 fixed-choice alter100
native questions, 26 of which addressed demographic and sexuality-related information. Procedures
RESULTS Relationships With Members of the Opposite Sex
When subjects were requested to select the one descriptor that best characterized their relationships with the opposite sex, we noted significant differences when we compared the within-gender responses of the 1973 and 1988 samples of women (p < .02) and men (p < .03, see Table 1). The largest changes within both sexes occurred in two areas: (1) an increase in the proportion of women and men who indicated they had contact with the opposite sex outside class but had never dated them, and (2) a decrease in the percentage of both women and men who reported that they dated frequently but always dated the same person. Asked to indicate their level of agreement regarding satisfaction with their present relationship with members of the opposite sex, at least 70% of the female students reported satisfaction in both 1973 and 1988 (see Table 2). The overall percentage of women who indicated agreement/strong agreement that their relationships were satisfying increased from approximately 70% in 1973 to 76% in 1988, and the percentage of those who indicated disagreement/strong disagreement increased from about 18% in 1973 to 22% in 1988. By 1988, however, women had become less uncertain about their level of satisfaction; this was evident from a decrease in the response of uncertainty from about 12% in 1973 to 2% in 1988. We found a difference that was statistically highly significant (p < .001) when we compared 1973 responses with those of 1988. When we eliminated from JACH
CHANGES IN SEXUAL BEHAVIOR
TABLE 1 Indicate the One Answer That Best Describes Your Relationship With Members of the Opposite Sex
Women (To) Response Contact only in class situations Contact outside class but never date Date occasionally Date occasionally but always the same person Date frequently but always the same person Going steady or engaged Downloaded by [New York University] at 22:53 09 February 2015
*p
Men (%)
1973
1988**
1973
1988*
3.4
3.4
1.9
6.1
6.5
13.9
10.7
18.2
21.7 3.5
25.1 2.5
27.1 1.9
28.9 3.9
11.7
6.4
18.3
6.9
36.3
37.8
9.4
7.6
< .03;**p < .02.
TABLE 2 I Am Satisfied With My Present Relationship With Members of the Opposite Sex
Women (Yo)
Men (Yo)
Response
1973
1988*
1973
1988
Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree Uncertain
37.1 33.2 12.1 6.0 11.6
33.7 42.3 17.6 4.1 2.3
33.3 38.3 16.0 3.1 9.3
32.6 32.6 19.7 6.8 8.3 ~~
*p
< .m1.
our data analysis those who responded uncertain, we discovered that these results were not statistically significant. Thus, the significance we noted reflected the importance of the change in women’s uncertainty about relationship satisfaction during the years covered by the study. The percentage of men in the sample who indicated they agreedhtrongly agreed that they were satisfied with their present relationships with members of the opposite sex decreased. Consistent with the above finding, more men indicated some degree of dissatisfaction with the relationships in 1988 (27%) compared with dissatisfaction in 1973 (19%). Between 8% and 9% of the men surveyed indicated uncertainty regarding relationship satisfaction during the 2 different years covered by the study. Sexual Relationships Since Entering College The types of heterosexual experiences students reported having had since entering college are shown in Table 3. We offered respondents nine possible options in this VOL 41, NOVEMBER 1992
area, and we requested that students select all the options that applied to them. Significant within-gender changes were observed to have occurred in the percentage of those reporting the following behaviors: having nonsexual heterosexual relationships, engaging in casual intercourse, and having sexual intercourse within the context of a meaningful relationship. For the female cohort, we observed three significant changes when we compared their responses in 1973 with responses in 1988: (1) the proportion of women who reported having a nonsexual heterosexual relationship with one person decreased, (2) the percentage of women who reported having casual intercourse with more than one person increased, and (3) the percentage who reported having intercourse within one meaningful relationship increased. Two notable changes occurred within the male cohort: (1) the proportion of men who reported having a nonsexual heterosexual relationship with more than one person decreased, and (2) the percentage of men who had casual intercourse with more than one person increased. Although the level of signifi101
COLLEGE HEALTH
TABLE 3 What Types of Heterosexual Experience Have You Had Since Entering College? (Indicate All That Apply)
Downloaded by [New York University] at 22:53 09 February 2015
Women ('-70) 1973
A few dates Petting Relationship with one person-no sex Relationship with two or more-no sex Casual intercourse with one person Casual intercourse with more than one person Intercourse with one meaningful relationship Several meaningful relationships in which intercourse occurred None
18.5 21.5 25.3
24.7 21.o 17.2*
24.1 23.5 16.7
18.9
14.2
17.9
6.0
9.0
13.6
20.5
*p
< .02; **p
Journal of American College Health Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/vach20
Gender-Specific Changes in Students' Sexual Behaviors and Attitudes at a Southeastern University between 1973 and 1988 a
a
Patricia C. Dunn PhD , Sharon M. Knight PhD, CHES & Mary A. Glascoff EdD
a
a
Teach Health Education , East Carolina University , Greenville, NC, USA Published online: 09 Jul 2010.
To cite this article: Patricia C. Dunn PhD , Sharon M. Knight PhD, CHES & Mary A. Glascoff EdD (1992) Gender-Specific Changes in Students' Sexual Behaviors and Attitudes at a Southeastern University between 1973 and 1988, Journal of American College Health, 41:3, 99-104, DOI: 10.1080/07448481.1992.9936308 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07448481.1992.9936308
PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the “Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content. This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http:// www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-conditions
Downloaded by [New York University] at 22:53 09 February 2015
Gender-Specific Changes in Students’ Sexual Behaviors and Attitudes at a southeastern University Between 1973 and 1988 Patricia C. Dunn, PhD; Sharon M. Knight, PhD, CHES; and Mary A. Glascoff, EdD
Abstract. This study investigated the gender-specific, selfreported sexual behaviors and attitudes of never-married college students attending a southeastem university in 1973 and 1988. Data were collected by means of a mailed questionnaire that remained essentially unchanged for both years. The authors found that both men and women reported an increase in heterosexual relationshipsthat included sexual intercourse and a decrease in nonsexual relationships with the other gender. The majority of the students perceived themselves as adequately informed about sexuality and satisfied with their relationships, although the proportion of men who reported being satisfied with their relationships declined over the 15 years. The students indicated that sexuality education should focus primarily on information about AIDS and on preparation for marriage. Key Words: sexuality, sexuality eduction
T
he proportion of young Americans who engaged in premarital sexual intercourse reportedly increased steadily between the years 1970 and 1988.’ The changes in sexual attitudes and behaviors observed during the late 1%os and throughout the 1970s were so evident they were viewed as a sexual revolution.’ Associated with this sexual revolution was an increase in the level of sexual activity among adolescents and young adult^'*^^^ that reflected increased positive attitudes toward premarital sexual intercourse as well as an increased incidence of premarital sexual intercourse.’ To design effective sexuality-related health education programs and services that are relevant to college stu-
The authors all teach health education at East Carolina University in Greenville, NC: Patricia C. Dunn is a professor, and Shmon M. Knight and Mary A . G h c o f f are assistant profesSOTS.
VOL 41, NOVEMBER 1992
dents, health educators must know about the attitudes and behaviors of the target population. Because sexual behaviors and attitudes may vary considerably among institutions, the trends in students’ behaviors and attitudes over time at the same institution of higher learning may more clearly reflect actual changes within this population rather than the differences associated with disparate college-student populations.6 This study investigated the gender-specific, self-reported sexual behaviors and attitudes of never-married college students attending a southeastern university during the years 1973 and 1988. We collected the data for use in designing, implementing, and updating campuswide health education programs and student services so that the programs and services would more clearly reflect and address the current trends in college student behaviors and attitudes. Specifically, the study addressed two broad questions related to sexuality: (1) Have the gender-specific sexual practices of never-married college students, especially in terms of premarital sexual intercourse and dating behavior, changed over the 15-year period between 1973 and 1988? and (2) Have never-married college students’ perceptions about their satisfaction with sexual relationships and their perceived level of knowledge about sexuality changed over that 15-year period?
METHOD Random samples of 15% of the entire student population enrolled at a southeastern university during spring 1973 and spring 1988 were targeted for participation in the study. After review and approval of the study by the university’s Human Subjects Research Committee, we mailed a self-administered questionnaire to a computergenerated random sample of the student body for each of 99
Downloaded by [New York University] at 22:53 09 February 2015
COLLEGE HEALTH
the 2 years. The questionnaire designed for the 1973 study was also used in the 1988 study, except that one question dealing with AIDS was added to the 1988 survey. Return rates were 38% in 1973 (n = 438) and 22% in 1988 (n = 588). Except for the question on AIDS, all survey procedures were identical for both years. Although there was a difference in the response rate between the 1973 and 1988 surveys, we could not identify any apparent reason for the difference. The mailed questionnaire was completely anonymous; thus, we could not carry out additional follow-up efforts to increase the return response rate or make any attempt to assess nonrespondents. The demographics associated with the sample of students who returned completed questionnaires reflected those of the total university student body during the 2 years that the study was conducted.
We mailed the questionnaire to a randomly selected sample of the entire student body during the years 1973 and 1988. Students were informed about the purposes of the study and how the findings would be used. In addition, they were informed that their participation was voluntary and anonymous. To guarantee anonymity, we instructed students to remove their address labels from the questionnaires and to fold and staple the completed questionnaires so that the return address of the Office of Institutional Research at the university was displayed. Because the survey was anonymous, we conducted only one mailing.
Subjects
Analysis
This report is limited to the analysis of responses regarding the sexual behaviors and attitudes of nevermarried college students, who made up approximately 77% of the respondents for both years. The 1973 sample consisted of 395 students, 95% of whom were 18 to 21 years of age. Fifty-nine percent of the students in the 1973 sample were women (n = 233) and 41% were men (n = 162). The majority (97%) of the respondents were white, 1% were black, and 2% checked other. In terms of academic level, about 50% of the 1973 sample were in their first or second year, 45% were juniors or seniors, and the remainder were graduate students. The number sampled in 1988 was similar to that in the 1973 sample but, reflecting the changes that had occurred in the demographics of the university during the intervening 15 years, was somewhat different in terms of age, gender, race, and university classification. The 1988 survey yielded 399 responses from never-mamied students; 67% (n = 267) were women, 33% (n = 132) were men. Ninety percent of the respondents were 18 to 21 years of age. The majority of respondents (89%) in the 1988 survey were white, 8% were black, and 3% indicated other racial/ethnic groups. In terms of academic level, 42% of this cohort were in their first or second year, 47% were juniors or seniors, and the remainder were graduate students.
We used the Statistical Analysis System (SAS) to manage and analyze the data. Descriptive statistics included frequency tables that compared within-gender responses for each of the 2 years. Where applicable, we ran chi-square tests to determine the existence of significant differences within each gender when we compared the 1973 and 1988 data. The significance level we used w a s p < .05.
Instrument
The survey instrument we used during both years was originally developed in 1973 to assess college students' sexuality and drug-related attitudes and practices. The original instrument was developed in consultation with expert university faculty, who helped with instrument design and item content and reviewed existing instruments used for collecting similar data. The survey instrument was pretested twice with samples of college students who were similar to those who participated in the actual study and was revised after each pretest. The instrument consisted of 51 fixed-choice alter100
native questions, 26 of which addressed demographic and sexuality-related information. Procedures
RESULTS Relationships With Members of the Opposite Sex
When subjects were requested to select the one descriptor that best characterized their relationships with the opposite sex, we noted significant differences when we compared the within-gender responses of the 1973 and 1988 samples of women (p < .02) and men (p < .03, see Table 1). The largest changes within both sexes occurred in two areas: (1) an increase in the proportion of women and men who indicated they had contact with the opposite sex outside class but had never dated them, and (2) a decrease in the percentage of both women and men who reported that they dated frequently but always dated the same person. Asked to indicate their level of agreement regarding satisfaction with their present relationship with members of the opposite sex, at least 70% of the female students reported satisfaction in both 1973 and 1988 (see Table 2). The overall percentage of women who indicated agreement/strong agreement that their relationships were satisfying increased from approximately 70% in 1973 to 76% in 1988, and the percentage of those who indicated disagreement/strong disagreement increased from about 18% in 1973 to 22% in 1988. By 1988, however, women had become less uncertain about their level of satisfaction; this was evident from a decrease in the response of uncertainty from about 12% in 1973 to 2% in 1988. We found a difference that was statistically highly significant (p < .001) when we compared 1973 responses with those of 1988. When we eliminated from JACH
CHANGES IN SEXUAL BEHAVIOR
TABLE 1 Indicate the One Answer That Best Describes Your Relationship With Members of the Opposite Sex
Women (To) Response Contact only in class situations Contact outside class but never date Date occasionally Date occasionally but always the same person Date frequently but always the same person Going steady or engaged Downloaded by [New York University] at 22:53 09 February 2015
*p
Men (%)
1973
1988**
1973
1988*
3.4
3.4
1.9
6.1
6.5
13.9
10.7
18.2
21.7 3.5
25.1 2.5
27.1 1.9
28.9 3.9
11.7
6.4
18.3
6.9
36.3
37.8
9.4
7.6
< .03;**p < .02.
TABLE 2 I Am Satisfied With My Present Relationship With Members of the Opposite Sex
Women (Yo)
Men (Yo)
Response
1973
1988*
1973
1988
Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree Uncertain
37.1 33.2 12.1 6.0 11.6
33.7 42.3 17.6 4.1 2.3
33.3 38.3 16.0 3.1 9.3
32.6 32.6 19.7 6.8 8.3 ~~
*p
< .m1.
our data analysis those who responded uncertain, we discovered that these results were not statistically significant. Thus, the significance we noted reflected the importance of the change in women’s uncertainty about relationship satisfaction during the years covered by the study. The percentage of men in the sample who indicated they agreedhtrongly agreed that they were satisfied with their present relationships with members of the opposite sex decreased. Consistent with the above finding, more men indicated some degree of dissatisfaction with the relationships in 1988 (27%) compared with dissatisfaction in 1973 (19%). Between 8% and 9% of the men surveyed indicated uncertainty regarding relationship satisfaction during the 2 different years covered by the study. Sexual Relationships Since Entering College The types of heterosexual experiences students reported having had since entering college are shown in Table 3. We offered respondents nine possible options in this VOL 41, NOVEMBER 1992
area, and we requested that students select all the options that applied to them. Significant within-gender changes were observed to have occurred in the percentage of those reporting the following behaviors: having nonsexual heterosexual relationships, engaging in casual intercourse, and having sexual intercourse within the context of a meaningful relationship. For the female cohort, we observed three significant changes when we compared their responses in 1973 with responses in 1988: (1) the proportion of women who reported having a nonsexual heterosexual relationship with one person decreased, (2) the percentage of women who reported having casual intercourse with more than one person increased, and (3) the percentage who reported having intercourse within one meaningful relationship increased. Two notable changes occurred within the male cohort: (1) the proportion of men who reported having a nonsexual heterosexual relationship with more than one person decreased, and (2) the percentage of men who had casual intercourse with more than one person increased. Although the level of signifi101
COLLEGE HEALTH
TABLE 3 What Types of Heterosexual Experience Have You Had Since Entering College? (Indicate All That Apply)
Downloaded by [New York University] at 22:53 09 February 2015
Women ('-70) 1973
A few dates Petting Relationship with one person-no sex Relationship with two or more-no sex Casual intercourse with one person Casual intercourse with more than one person Intercourse with one meaningful relationship Several meaningful relationships in which intercourse occurred None
18.5 21.5 25.3
24.7 21.o 17.2*
24.1 23.5 16.7
18.9
14.2
17.9
6.0
9.0
13.6
20.5
*p
< .02; **p
