Prevalence and Determinants of Transactional Sex among Commercial Drivers in Southwest, Nigeria
Oladayo Gabriel AWOLEYE
*
Department of Statistics, Federal Polytechnic, Ile-Oluji, Ondo State, Nigeria.
Ekundayo David ADEDOYIN
Statistics Unit, Environmental Modelling and Biometrics Department, Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.
Babatunde Sarafa SHITTU
Department of Demography and Social Statistics, Faculty of Social Sciences, Federal University, Oye Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Background: Commercial drivers constitute a high-risk population for the acquisition and transmission of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), a vulnerability largely attributed to their occupational mobility, frequent interstate travel, and engagement in high-risk sexual behaviours.
Objective: This is a cross-sectional study aimed at determining the prevalence and examining the socio-demographic and behavioural determinants of transactional sex among male commercial drivers in the southwestern region of Nigeria.
Methods: Data were collected using a structured questionnaire, digitized via Google Forms, which was administered both in person and distributed through social media platforms affiliated with commercial driver and rider groups. The survey instrument elicited information on socio-demographic, economic, behavioural patterns, and health-related characteristics of respondents. Chi-square tests were employed to assess association between categorical variables, while binary logistic regression models were fitted to examine predictors of transactional sex, a respondent engaging in transactional sex within the preceding six months taken as dependent variable.
Results: Findings revealed that 64.5% of respondents initiated sexual activity between the ages of 12 and 18 years, with a mean age at sexual debut of 17.28 years (standard deviation = 3.40 years). The prevalence of transactional sex varied across sub-groups: motorcycle riders (64.2%), tricycle operators (64.6%), taxi drivers (68.5%), bus drivers (75.0%) and ride-hailing drivers (76.3%). A statistical significant association between vehicle operated and transactional sex was observed in Lagos (p-value<0.05), Oyo (p-value<0.001), and Ogun (p-value<0.001) states but not in Osun (p-value=0.696), Ondo (p-value=0.244), and Ekiti (p-value=0.906) states. Age, marital status, and vehicle operated were identified as significant predictors in the binary logistic regression while age, religion, marital status, vehicle operated, interstate travels, and smoking behaviour were significant predictors in the multivariable logistic regression.
Conclusion/Recommendation: This study establishes that transactional sex is prevalent among commercial drivers in Southwest, Nigeria. The analysis identified several predisposing factors, including age, religious affiliation, marital status, type of vehicle operated, engagement in interstate travel, and smoking behaviour. These findings underscore the importance of context-specific interventions aimed at addressing the underlying socio-demographic and occupational determinants of high-risk practices in this population.
Keywords: Commercial drivers, transaction, southwest, prevalence, determinants, gain