Abstract
BACKGROUND: Risky Sexual Behaviors (RSB) and Depression symptoms expose young people to various reproductive health problems including sexually transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS. To date the link between these two major public health problems lacks empirical evidence in the context of higher education institutions in Ethiopia. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess association between risky sexual behavior and depression symptoms among Jimma University main campus students, Jimma, Ethiopia, 2016. METHODS: An institution based quantitative cross sectional study was conducted. A pre-tested questionnaire and modified Beck Depression Inventory II were administered to 700 students, selected by multi-stage stratified sampling, from the main campus of Jimma University. Descriptive statistics, simple and multiple logistic regression models were used to analyze possible confounders. Presence of crude association between the dependent and independent variables was detected by bivariate logistic regression analysis. Variables with p value < 0.25 in bivariate analysis were analyzed by multivariable logistic regression to exclude the confounders. Adjusted odd ratios with 95%CI were computed to examine depression symptoms and other independent variables as predictors of RSB. RESULTS: RSB were reported by 30.2% students. Out of 222 (33.6%) students with depression symptoms 105 (47.3%) reported RSB. Students with moderate depression symptoms are nearly two times more likely to experience risky sexual behavior than students with no depression symptoms (AOR 1.9, 95% CI: 1-3.1). Students with severe depression symptoms are nearly two and half times more likely to experience RSB than students with no depression symptoms counterparts (AOR 2.6, 95%CI: 1.3- 5.1). CONCLUSION: RSB were high among students with depression symptoms in the main campus of Jimma University. To help students overcome the challenges, recommendation was given for concerted action from the University, governmental and NGO, and the surrounding community to establish support services and various reproductive and mental health awareness programs within the campus.