Societal Norms and Risky Sexual Behaviour among Undergraduate Students in Nakuru County, Kenya

Abstract

This study examined the association between societal norms and risky sexual behaviour among undergraduate students in university town campuses in Nakuru County, Kenya. The study adopted a descriptive correlational approach and collected quantitative and qualitative data. The target population comprised 1,161 third-year undergraduate students from Egerton University, St. Paul’s University and Kabarak University. A planned quantitative sample of 212 students was calculated using Cochran’s formula and allocated proportionately across the three institutions. The final quantitative dataset comprised 212 respondents. Data were collected through structured questionnaires, three focus group discussions involving 19 students and three semi-structured interviews with university counsellors. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and bivariate and multiple regression, while qualitative data were analysed thematically. In bivariate analysis, societal norms were positively associated with risky sexual behaviour, but the association did not reach the conventional .05 significance level (B = 0.850, p = .072, R² = .015). In the multiple regression model, the societal-norms coefficient was statistically significant (B = 1.111, SE = 0.522, β = .162, p = .035), although the overall model was not statistically significant, F(4, 207) = 1.478, p = .210, R² = .028. Qualitative accounts identified perceived changes in social boundaries, alcohol-related social settings. The study concludes that societal norms form part of the broader social environment within which undergraduate students make sexual decisions, but their influence on risky sexual behaviour is not conclusively established. The study recommends a modest, measurement-sensitive association rather than evidence of a strong causal effect. The study contributes locally grounded evidence that can inform student-centred sexual-health education and support services, while underscoring the need for a more reliable measure of societal norms.