Acceptance and Awareness of Sugaring Relationship in the VCU Community
Sarah Beaverson; Lauren Hanley; Kathleen Pugh; Vashali Jain; Fidelma B. Rigby, MD | September 22 | 3:15-4:15 pm
Topic: Research | Knowledge Level: Intermediate
Sugaring is marketed as a mutually beneficial financial relationship between a younger, more financially insecure individual and an older, wealthier individual for dating and companionship (Upadhyay, 2021). Sugaring is prevalent in university communities; however, there is limited research on public perception of this common phenomenon and its associated health risks. The two guiding research questions of this study were: (1) What is the level of acceptance of sugar relationships by students and faculty at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU)? and (2) What is the level of awareness among students and faculty of sugar relationships in the VCU community? A survey that measured acceptance and awareness of sugaring was distributed to students and faculty on both the undergraduate and graduate campuses of VCU. Survey responses were analyzed using a Wilcoxon signed-rank test and Fisher’s exact test to compare differences between the two groups. Faculty had a statistically significant lower acceptance of sugar relationships compared to students (6.0 median score compared to median 17.0 score respectively, p <0.001). Students demonstrated a significantly higher awareness of the prevalence of sugaring compared to faculty (p< 0.003). There was similar awareness of the unintended health risks of sugaring between students and faculty. Further research is warranted to elucidate the factors associated with levels of acceptance and awareness of sugaring. Educational efforts are needed to increase awareness of sugaring prevalence, especially on college campuses.
Presentation Objectives:
· Define the phenomenon of sugaring and establish the importance of research on this topic
· Explain the reasoning behind carrying out the study at VCU
· Illustrate the research methods and share results
· Discuss the impact of the study and areas of future research based on findings