THE ROLE OF SELF-REGULATION AND LIFE-OPTIMISM IN SEXUAL RISK BEHAVIOUR IN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS FROM HUNGARY, LITHUANIA AND SLOVAKIA

Background. Personality factors have frequently been found to be associated with health risky behaviours although the findings are not always consistent and are rare in Central or Eastern Europe. Holding optimistic beliefs was found as a protective factor as women at the highest risk for HIV demonstrated lower self-esteem, less optimistic and fatal views concerning the future. Similarly, high levels of dispositional self-regulation among students, decreased alcohol use, alcohol-related negative consequences and sexual risk-taking. This study aims to explore and compare the associations between self-regulation, life-optimism and sexual risk behaviour in young adults from Hungary, Lithuania and Slovakia. Material and methods. Online questionnaires concerning health- related behaviour including sexual behaviour, optimism and self-regulation were distributed to first year university students in Hungary (N=819, 66% females), Lithuania (N=928, 70% females) and Slovakia (N=807, 75% females). Multinomial logistic regression was performed in SPSS 16. Results. Self-regulation was associated with sexual risk behaviour as students with higher self-regulation were less likely to report high risk or moderate-risk sexual behaviour compared to those with lower self-regulation. Life optimism was not associated with any type of sexual risk behaviour. Conclusions. Taking into consideration our results on young adults as well as those conducted by others, we may see stability in self-regulation as a vital factor which may affect one’s sexual behaviour during adolescence and young adulthood. As for intervention or prevention programmes, enhancing self–regulation result in reduction of substance use and sexual risk behaviour. However, such intervention should be done in early adolescence.