Sexual Behaviour of Adolescent Hawkers in Ilorin Metropolis: The Role of Socio-Demographic Predictors

Abstract

The health of adolescents is greatly determined by their behaviour. An important and complex area of adolescent behavioural health is sexuality. Issues of experience and activity include the timing of first intercourse, number of sex partners, contraceptive use, pregnancy, and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The purpose of this study therefore is to examine the prediction of socio-demographic factors on sexual behaviour of adolescent hawkers in Ilorin Metropolis. Survey research design was adopted. Five research questions guided the study. The population comprised of 400 adolescents in Ilorin Metropolis, Kwara State, Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling technique was adopted while purposive sampling method was used to select the participants, while a semi structured interview form and self-developed questionnaire was used for data collection. Reliability was estimated at 0.81. Data analysis involved mean, standard deviation, chi-square, and regression analysis. Results showed that Socio-demographic variables did have significant association with respondents risky sexual behaviour, ever had sex, practice of having more than one sexual partner, monetary reward for sex, and the practice of condom use during sexual intercourse. It was recommended that Socio- demographic factors indicated to have contributed to current extent of adolescents’ sexuality while risky sexual behaviour exposes them to high sexual networking, sex related outcomes which includes among others, unwanted pregnancy which may lead to abortion and the likes.