Risky behaviors in Ethiopian university students and its relationship with loneliness and coping self-efficacy

Abstract

Research shows that risky behavior peaks in young adulthood, endangering young adult’s mental health and making it difficult for them to grow up to be responsible members of society. As a result, this study aimed to adapt the Risk Behavior Scale into Amharic and examine the relationships between risky behaviors, loneliness, and coping self-efficacy. A cross-sectional research design was used and convenience sampling was employed to gather data from a total of 242 Ethiopian university students. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was carried out to test the factor structures of the Risky Behaviors Scale. The CFA results validated the scale’s four-factor structures (χ2 = 435, df = 183, (p < .001), CFI = 0.94, TLI = 0.91, RMSEA = 0.08, and SRMR =0.05). This would make it possible for mental health experts to research the psychological impacts of risky behaviors (alcohol use, suicidality, drug use, and khat use) in Ethiopian young adults. The findings of hierarchical regression analysis revealed that male gender and loneliness were predictors of risky behavior. This research holds significant implications for interventions that attempt to reduce loneliness in young adults to alter their vulnerabilities to risky behaviors.