Risky behaviors in Ethiopian university students and its relationship with loneliness and coping self-efficacy

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Elemo A. S., Temtime M. C.

Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse, 2024 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Basım Tarihi: 2024
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1080/15332640.2024.2436892
  • Dergi Adı: Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, ASSIA, IBZ Online, CINAHL, Criminal Justice Abstracts, EBSCO Education Source, Education Abstracts, Educational research abstracts (ERA), International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, MEDLINE, PAIS International, Psycinfo, Public Affairs Index, Social services abstracts, Sociological abstracts, Violence & Abuse Abstracts
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: Coping self-efficacy, Ethiopia, loneliness, risky behaviors
  • İstanbul Gelişim Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Research shows that risky behavior peaks in young adulthood, endangering young adult’s mental health and making it difficult for them to grow up to be responsible members of society. As a result, this study aimed to adapt the Risk Behavior Scale into Amharic and examine the relationships between risky behaviors, loneliness, and coping self-efficacy. A cross-sectional research design was used and convenience sampling was employed to gather data from a total of 242 Ethiopian university students. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was carried out to test the factor structures of the Risky Behaviors Scale. The CFA results validated the scale’s four-factor structures (χ2 = 435, df = 183, (p <.001), CFI = 0.94, TLI = 0.91, RMSEA = 0.08, and SRMR =0.05). This would make it possible for mental health experts to research the psychological impacts of risky behaviors (alcohol use, suicidality, drug use, and khat use) in Ethiopian young adults. The findings of hierarchical regression analysis revealed that male gender and loneliness were predictors of risky behavior. This research holds significant implications for interventions that attempt to reduce loneliness in young adults to alter their vulnerabilities to risky behaviors.