Sexuality education and sociocultural influences: insights into indifference among university students

Abstract

Objective This study analyses the impact of sexual education on university students in Spain, with the objective of identifying distinct attitudinal profiles towards sexuality and exploring the influence of sociodemographic variables.

Methods Between December 2020 and April 2021, a total of 1,028 students completed a questionnaire assessing their attitudes towards sexuality. The sample predominantly comprised undergraduate students (93%), women (67%), and heterosexual individuals (80%), with an average age of 21. Over half of the participants identified as Christian (51%) and had not yet left the family home (53%).

Results A latent class analysis was conducted to identify attitudinal profiles, and chi-squared tests examined the influence of gender, sexual orientation, and religiosity. The instrument demonstrated good internal consistency (α = .813), though five items exhibited low discriminatory power. Factor analysis revealed four components accounting for 59.85% of the variance, supporting the scale’s structural validity.Three profiles emerged regarding general opinions on sexuality: unfavourable (17%), largely comprising women, heterosexuals and Christians; intermediate (68%); and favourable (15%), predominantly including men, non-heterosexuals and non-religious participants. Concerning sexual myths, four profiles were identified: indifferent (31%), those who accept myths (2%), intermediates (48%), and rejecters (20%), the latter composed mainly of non-heterosexual students. Gender, sexual orientation, and religious affiliation significantly influenced all identified profiles (p < .05).

Conclusions Findings highlight the need to address gender, sexual diversity, and religiosity in sexual education programmes. The prevalence of indifference and limited critical engagement suggests a pressing need for more inclusive, evidence-based approaches in university contexts.