Date of Award

January 2022

Document Type

Open Access Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Public Health (MPH)

Department

School of Public Health

First Advisor

Sarah R. Lowe

Abstract

Introduction: More than 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men will experience some type of sexual violence in their lifetimes (NISVS | CDC, 2021). While a significant body of research exists on predictors of reporting behavior after sexual assault victimization, far less research has attended to factors that may contribute to perpetration, such as sexual self-concept. The current study investigates sexual self-concept and its relationship to health behavior and notions of sexual consent in a college student sample. Methods: Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from 160 Yale undergraduates 18 years or older with approval from the Yale University IRB (66.9% female, 40.6% white, 66.3% heterosexual). Findings: Adjusted linear regression models revealed that levels of sexual self-stigma were predictive of a 2.10 and 3.86-unit increase in alcohol use disorder and sexual risk-taking scores, respectively (p<0.01). Additionally, sexual self-stigma was found to have a significant negative association with a subscale assessing perceived behavioral control (PBC; p<0.01). Finally, in a multinomial logistic regression model, a 1-unit increase in sexual self-stigma was associated with 8.78 times the odds of having low PBC and less positive attitudes compared with having high PBC and more positive attitudes (95% CI: 1.73,44.51; p=0.008). A 1-unit increase in sexual self-stigma was also associated with 13.70 times the odds of having low PBC and less positive attitudes toward consent compared to having high PBC and less positive attitudes (95% CI: 1.75, 107.08; p=0.012). Conclusion: These findings suggest that sexual self-stigma may be an important factor to consider in the primary prevention of sexual assault, particularly as it pertains to exercising behavioral control in the context of sexual consent.

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This is an Open Access Thesis.

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