EFFECT OF MORTALITY SALIENCE ON HEALTH COMPROMISING BEHAVIOR

Over the decades, researchers have leaned on the TMT to explain numerous phenomena, including consumer choice, exercise motivation, risky driving behavior, and other behavioral domains. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of mortality salience on RSB as a health-compromising behavior. Sixty-two participants took part in the study. A quasi-experimental design was adopted. The result showed that MS increased resentment to RSB in the experimental condition (M = 44.82, SD= 9.28) compare to the control condition (M = 21.27, SD = 5.19). An independent t-test was used to test the study's hypothesis, and the result established a statistically significant differential effect of MS on RSB resentment between the conditions. We conclude that MS is effective in mitigating the incidence of RSB.


ISSN: 2320-5407
Int. J. Adv. Res. 9(05), 384-389 385 Health compromising behaviors refers to overt and covert actions that are detrimental to one's health, such as substance abuse, unprotected sex, reckless driving, alcoholism, lack of exercise. Health risky behavior is wonted across culture and hence tricky to eliminate. These risky behaviors negatively affect an individual's sociopsychological functioning and account for most health mortality rates worldwide. Extensive studies have been conducted on health compromising behaviors ( Xing et al., 2006). However, the present study is concerned with the incidence of unprotected sex as risky health behavior. Unsafe sexual behavior is responsible for the vast majority of HIV/AIDS, infections, and other related unhealthy outcomes. Prevention campaigns aimed at increasing knowledge of risky sexual behavior and mitigating the consequences of unprotected sex in Nigeria have been ineffective (Okonkwo, 2013). For instance, the amount of riskiness of unprotected sex is rarely incorporated in HIV prevention campaigns (Lammers et al., 2013).

The present study
Risky sexual behavior is increasing in Nigeria (Ajide & Balogun, 2018), despite efforts to alleviate the trend. One characteristic of risky sexual behavior is that it seems enjoyable, thereby motivating future behavior. Risky sexual behavior is a public health concern and the second most leading cause of disability-adjusted life-years worldwide ( reported that behavioral change interventions and sexual health services are essential in mitigating the trend. In this study, based on TMT, we explored the effect that mortality salience will have on risky sexual behavior. Thus, we hypothesized that mortality salience would positively increase resentment to risky sexual behaviors.

Method: -
We adopted a quasi-experimental design in the study. The population of the study comprised males and females between the age range of 25-40 years. We approached 87 individuals between and February 2021 in different locations in Enugu State and asked them to participate in a study intended to gain more knowledge on risky sexual behavior. In total, 62 of them consented to the research, and they were divided into two groups. Group A represented the experimental group while the other group stands as control. Before the experiment, the participants were handed a self-developed questionnaire to ascertain their knowledge, perception, and engagement in risky sexual behavior. In the experiment, participants in group A were exposed to computer-generated images and videos of risky sexual fatalities as death reminders, while the control group was engaged in a health-related discussion.

Result: -
The pre-test study result showed that the participants are knowledgeable of risky sexual behaviors. However, we found that 71% of the participants have previously engaged in risky sexual behavior, 22% indicated that they have wanted to participate in risky sexual behavior, while 7% revealed they have never engaged in risky sexual behavior.
In the post-test study, the mean and standard deviation score of the two groups showed that the resentment to RSB increased in the experimental group (44.82 ± 9.28) following exposure to death reminders than the control group (21.27 ± 5.19).

Hypothesis testing
An independent-samples t-test was conducted to determine if there were differences between the experimental and the control conditions on RSB resentment in the post-test study. The result established a statistically significant difference between the experimental and control group at 11.45 (95% CI, 7.81 to 15.23), t (60) = 6.212, p = .001.

Discussion: -
The study investigated the effect of mortality salience on RSB as a health-compromising behavior. The result revealed a statistically significant difference between the experimental and control group on RSB, which means that 386 the participants in the experimental group exhibited increased resentment to RSB following their exposure to mortality reminders. Thus, the hypothesis of the study is supported. The reason for this outcome could be linked to the TMT's view that when concern about death is made conscious, people tend to act in a way that reduces the threat of mortality. The finding further supports the idea that death thoughts that occur in response to health threats affect subsequent health behavior (  , death thoughts increase death-related anxiety. Thus, participants who were reminded of the possibility of death due to RSB experienced mortality anxiety in response to the reminder of death. Accordingly, Belmi and Pfeffer (2016) reported that mortality salience helps people manage their death fear in ways consistent with normative expectations. We suggest that MS plays a vital role in the emergence of defense in response to a death threat. Thus, the study results provide evidence that mortality salience could be utilized in mitigating engagement in RSB in that individual could resort to a safer sexual mode in response to mortality cognition.

Limitations
Despite the current revelation, the study is faced with some inherent limitations that could affect it. For instance, the sample size is small and could affect the generalization of the study. Another limitation is that the study failed to consider some of the essential variables such as death-thought accessibility and self-esteem that have been proposed and demonstrated to mediate MS effects. Future research should further explore the role of death-thought accessibility and self-esteem in the association between MS and RSB to understand their main effects and interactions on RSB response.

Conclusion: -
The study aimed to explore mortality salience as a psychological construct that could reduce the incidence of RSB in Nigeria. The result revealed that RSB resentment increased when mortality is made salience. Thus, the study contributes to the literature by providing evidence on the effectiveness of MS on RSB prevention. We hope that the finding provides valuable data to the government and other relevant organizations, including the United Nations Population Fund (UNPF)campaign for positive sexual and reproductive health. Thus, we recommend that MS strategies should be incorporated in safe sex campaigns.

Funding
The Tertiary Education Trust Fund funded the present study