Correlation between Emotional Intelligence and Risky Sexual Behaviors in Nursing Students of Khozestan Province Universities in 2013

Risky sexual behaviors are considered as one kind of risky behaviors that have severe physical, emotional and economical consequences. Emotional Intelligence is a kind of emotional information processing which helps to better compatibility and compliance and leads to individuals take logical decision. This study aimed to assess any probable correlation between emotional intelligence and risky sexual behaviors in students. This study was conducted on 740 nursing students who were selected by stratified random sampling method from Jundishapur, Arvand, Dezfol, Shostar as well as Islamic Azad branch of Khozestan province Medical Universities in 2013. Data was collected by researcher-made and emotional intelligence (Brad Berry–Graves) questionnaires and were analyzed by SPSS19 software using descriptive (mean and standard deviation) and analytic (T-test, ANOVA and chi-square tests). Emotional intelligence of most students (74.19%) was in high range. Frequency of students’ risky sexual behaviors was 13.8%. Based on t-test a significant difference was seen between total emotional intelligence (P=0.049) as well as self-awareness (P=0.003) and social consciousness (P=0.014) subscales in students with and without risky sexual behaviors. Indeed, students without risky sexual behaviors possessed higher emotional intelligence. So that there was a significant difference between total emotional intelligence in students with and without risky sexual behaviors, development of emotional intelligence can be a good solution to prevent risky sexual behaviors and contribute to individual and community well-being.