Factors Influencing Professional Help‐Seeking Intentions for Sexual and Gender‐Based Violence Among Female University Students in Eswatini.

Jung, Mi Sook; Dlamini, Nondumiso Satiso

Objectives: To investigate the prevalence of sexual and gender‐based violence (SGBV) among female college students, identify factors influencing intention to seek professional help among SGBV survivors, and compare help‐seeking determinants among survivors based on their prior utilization of healthcare services. Design: A cross‐sectional online survey was employed among female students aged 18–24 years from two universities in Eswatini. Measurements and Sample: A total of 271 female college students were recruited to assess SGBV experience, attitudes, social norms, perceived control, help‐seeking intention, and other factors not originally included in the theory of planned behavior. Data analyses utilized descriptive statistics, comparative analyses, and multiple regression methods. Results: Among the participants, 73.1% reported experiencing one or more forms of SGBV, while only 43.4% sought professional help through health services. Help‐seeking intentions of survivors were significantly associated with positive attitudes, subjective norms, and marital status, collectively explaining 66% of the variance. In subgroup analyses, the subjective norm and attitude emerged as the most robust predictors of help‐seeking intentions. Conclusion: The results revealed a high prevalence of SGBV and a concerning trend of low help‐seeking behavior, with attitudes and subjective norms emerging as the most influential factors shaping intention. These results provide valuable insights for designing theory‐driven and culturally sensitive public health nursing interventions and educational programs aimed at effectively supporting SGBV survivors.

SOUTHERN Africa; MEDICAL care use; CROSS-sectional method; SEX crimes; TORTURE victims; CONTROL (Psychology); CRONBACH'S alpha; T-test (Statistics); PLANNED behavior theory; UNIVERSITIES & colleges; MULTIPLE regression analysis; QUESTIONNAIRES; HELP-seeking behavior; SOCIAL norms; DESCRIPTIVE statistics; INTENTION; MARITAL status; ONE-way analysis of variance; PSYCHOLOGY of college students; STUDENT attitudes; GENDER-based violence; PSYCHOSOCIAL factors

Public Health Nursing, 2025, Vol 42, Issue 1, p325

0737-1209

Academic Journal

10.1111/phn.13477