Dating app use among university students: A mixed-methods study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12957/reuerj.2025.85803Keywords:
Young Adult, Universities, Student Health, Mobile Applications, Sexual BehaviorAbstract
Objective: to analyze how university students use dating apps to find sex partners and factors associated with this practice. Method: a mixed-methods study conducted between 2021 and 2022 with university students from Paraíba by means of a structured questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. The research protocol was approved by the Research Ethics Committee. Results: the prevalence of dating app use was 49.5%. Female students, non-beneficiaries of any grant from the university and those attending courses in the health area were more likely to use apps. The following thematic categories emerged: Aspects associated with app use; Influence of friends and family members on dating app use; and Influence of using legal and illegal substances on the search for partners in apps. Data integration was presented in a Joint display. Conclusion: the main purpose of using dating apps is to have fun, influenced by social relations and by consumption of legal and illegal substances.
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