Influence of Mental Health on Preventive Behavior towards Premature - Sexual Intercourse among Junior High School Students in Thailand

This study aimed to identify influence of mental health on preventive behavior towards premature-sexual intercourse among junior high school students in Thailand. A cross-sectional survey, consisting of a questionnaire was self-administered to 260 junior high school students randomly selected by stratified sampling technique. Stepwise multiple regression analysis was performed to determine the factors included mental health affecting preventive behavior towards sexual intercourse among junior high school students. Seven factors were statistically significant with preventive behavior towards sexual intercourse among junior high school students and were found to make a unique contribution to this prediction. Correlation for regression was significantly different with R2 at 0.422. The adjusted R2 value of 0.407 indicated that 40.7% of the variability in mental health affected on preventive behavior towards sexual intercourse among junior high school students. The seven factors were normal level of mental health (Beta = 0.482), sex values (Beta = 0.431), knowledge of sex education (Beta = 0.247) which associated positively towards preventive behavior in premature-sexual intercourse, junior high school students, who had alcohol drinking, had less preventive behavior towards premature-sexual intercourse than those who had not (Beta = -0.159), junior high school students, who had money saving, had less preventive behavior towards premature-sexual intercourse than those who had not (Beta = -0.153), being taught about sex education by parents affected negatively to preventive behavior towards premature-sexual intercourse among the students (Beta = .142), and the students, who had boy or girl friend, had less preventive behavior towards premature-sexual intercourse than those who had not (Beta = -0.112). With respect to recommendations, junior high school students should be promoted mental health in order to increase preventive behavior towards premature-sexual intercourse.