Attitudes of Undergraduate Hostel Students of Tai Solarin Federal University of Education toward Premarital Sex

Abstract

Attitudes toward premarital sex among young adults have become a significant concern within university environments, particularly in hostel settings where students experience increased independence, peer interaction, and exposure to diverse social influences. Despite growing attention to sexual behaviour among undergraduates, limited empirical evidence exists on the relative contributions of knowledge, social influences, and self-regulatory factors in shaping students’ attitudes toward premarital sex in Nigerian universities. This study investigated the predictors of attitudes toward premarital sex among undergraduate hostel students of Tai Solarin University of Education, Ogun State, Nigeria. The study examined the relationship between sexual knowledge and attitudes toward premarital sex, as well as the predictive influence of sexual knowledge, social/media exposure, and behaviour/self-control on students’ attitudes. It also explored gender differences in attitudes. A descriptive survey research design was adopted. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire measuring sexual knowledge, social/media influence, behaviour/self-control, and attitudes toward premarital sex. A sample of 100 undergraduate hostel students was selected through simple random sampling. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson Product-Moment Correlation, Multiple Linear Regression, and Independent Samples t-test. Findings revealed a weak but statistically significant negative relationship between sexual knowledge and attitudes toward premarital sex, indicating that increased knowledge is associated with lower acceptance. The regression analysis showed that the combined predictors significantly explained variations in attitudes; however, only behaviour/self-control emerged as a significant predictor, suggesting that internal regulatory mechanisms play a more critical role than knowledge or social/media exposure. Additionally, no significant gender difference was found in students’ attitudes toward premarital sex. The study concludes that attitudes toward premarital sex among undergraduate hostel students are shaped primarily by self-regulatory factors rather than demographic characteristics or exposure to information and media. It recommends the development of intervention programmes that emphasize behavioural regulation, personal responsibility, and value-based decision-making, alongside sustained sexual education initiatives within university settings.