Demythologizing sex education in Oklahoma: an attitudinal study.

Abstract

A randomized study was conducted to determine the distribution of attitudes among Oklahomans of voting age toward sex education and to analyze the relationship of demographic, sociocultural, and attitudinal factors. The state was stratified into six regions. Forty-five percent of the sample lived in urban areas, and 55% in rural areas. Random digit dialing and random selection within households were utilized to ensure a representative sample of the population. Eighty percent of the sample was found to be favorable toward sex education in the public schools, while 20% was unfavorable. A majority of respondents in all religious groups including "fundamentalists" were favorable. Seventeen variables were found to be significant in the univariate analysis of the data; eight were not significant. In a multivariate analysis, three variables, age, Protestant denominational type and female employment, were shown to have predictive ability in determining favorability and unfavorability. Implications for building community support for sex education also are discussed.