Introduction
Diverse literature on sexual health promotion using social media suggests that increasing information reach and interaction are crucial. This study integrated the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) to model the predictors of young adults’ behavioural intention to use and interact with sexuality education on social media.
Methods
A total of 936 young adults in Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa who had access to the internet and Facebook were recruited via Facebook’s advertising platform from 22 May 2020 to 8 June 2020. A structural equation model was fitted on the sample to identify the individual attributes associated with the intention to use and interact with sexuality information on social media.
Results
About 84% of the young adults in the sample consider social media an appropriate medium for sexual health communication, with Facebook being the most preferred (40%) digital platform for sexual health promotion. Results from the structural equation model showed that performance expectancy (β = 0.18, P < 0.001), social influence (β = 0.09, P = 0.047), effort expectancy (β = 0.25, P < 0.001), facilitating condition (β = 0.33, P < 0.001), and attitude (β = 0.10, P = 0.039) were significantly associated with the intention to access sexuality education on social media. These factors (except attitude) were also significantly associated with the intention to interact with sexual health information on social media.
Conclusions
Young people with internet access are amenable to receiving and interacting with sexuality information on social media. The use of social media for sexuality education is associated with whether such use is free of effort, endorsed by society, align with their engagements with other messages, and helps them achieve improvement in their sexual and reproductive health.
Policy Implications
Strategies to increase access and interaction with sexuality information on social media help young people make an informed decision about their sexuality. Such use should also be free of effort, align with the way they interact with other information on social media, and supported by the society.
Background
Despite being preventable, anaemia is a major public health problem that affects a sizable number of children under-five years globally and in Tanzania. This study examined the maternal factors associated with the risk of anaemia among under-five children in Tanzania. We also assessed whether higher maternal education could reduce the risks of anaemia among children of women with poor socio-economic status.
Methods
Data was drawn from the 2015–16 Tanzania demographic and health survey and malaria indicator survey for 7916 children under five years. Adjusted odds ratios were estimated by fitting a proportional odds model to examine the maternal risk factors of anaemia. Stratified analysis was done to examine how the relationship differed across maternal educational levels.
Results
The findings revealed that maternal disadvantage evident in young motherhood [AOR:1.43, 95%CI:1.16–1.75], no formal education [AOR:1.53, 95%CI:1.25–1.89], unemployment [AOR:1.31, 95%CI:1.15–1.49], poorest household wealth [AOR:1.50, 95%CI:1.17–1.91], and non-access to health insurance [AOR:1.26, 95%CI: 1.03–1.53] were risk factors of anaemia among children in the sample. Sub-group analysis by maternal education showed that the risks were not evident when the mother has secondary or higher education. However, having an unmarried mother was associated with about four-times higher risk of anaemia if the mother is uneducated [AOR:4.04, 95%CI:1.98–8.24] compared with if the mother is currently in union.
Conclusion
Findings from this study show that a secondary or higher maternal education may help reduce the socio-economic risk factors of anaemia among children under-5 years in Tanzania.
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