Substance abuse, Risky sexual behavior and Mental Health among University students living in Hostels

Abstract

The study focused on assessment of the relationship between substance abuse, risky sexual behavior and mental health among university students living in hostels such as Makerere University, Bugema University, Kyambogo University, among others. A correlation study design was used and 150 students participated in this study. Simple random sampling technique was used to select the respondents. Semi structured questionnaires were the main tools in data collection and data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient (r) was used to determine the level of significance of the hypotheses. Ultimately, the result showed that there was significant relationship between substance abuse and risky sexual behaviour, and between risky sexual behavior and mental health. However, there was no significant relationship between substance abuse and mental health.