Adolescent-parent communication on sexual and reproductive health issues and its factors among secondary and preparatory school students in Hadiya Zone, Southern Ethiopia: institution based cross sectional study

Abstract

BackgroundAdolescent communication with parents is paramount to reduce sexual health problems. Currently, there is a shortage of information on adolescent-parent communication in Ethiopia in general and study area in particular. Thus, this study is intended to determine adolescent-parent communication on sexual and reproductive health issues and its factors among secondary and preparatory school adolescents in Hadiya Zone, Ethiopia.MethodsWe used institution based cross-sectional study design. We stratified schools into urban and semi-urban settings. Then, a total of 8 schools were randomly selected from the strata. The sample size was allocated for each stratum. Finally, participants were randomly selected from separate sampling frames prepared for each stratum. We developed structured questionnaire from related literatures to collect data on adolescent-parent communication and its factors. We cleaned and entered data using EPI info version 3.5.3 and exported to SPSS version 20 for descriptive and logistic regression analysis.ResultsThe proportion of adolescents who had communicated with their parents was 144 (35.0%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicates that participants’ knowledge about availability of adolescent and youth friendly sexual and reproductive health services at health facilities [AOR: 0.40, 95% CI: (0.26, 0.62),P-value = 0.001], utilization of adolescent and youth friendly sexual and reproductive health services [AOR: 0.46, 95% CI: (0.29, 0.72),P-value = 0.001] and respondents’ educational status: being grade 9, [AOR: 3.21, (95% CI: ((1.16, 8.89), P-value = 0.025] and grade 11; [AOR: 2.96, (95% CI: (1.06, 8.30),P- value =0.039] were statistically associated factors affecting adolescents for not communicating with parents on sexual and reproductive health issues.ConclusionThe findings of our study imply that adolescents were not communicating much with parents about sexual and reproductive health issues even though they were aware of adolescent and youth friendly sexual and reproductive health services. In addition, promotion of service availability may be important to motivate adolescents to communicate with parents. Contextual and age dependent communication barriers should be further identified. Further research is needed in the area to identify barriers particularly from parent side.

What do Service Providers in Southern Ethiopia Think About Barriers to using Youth-Friendly Sexual and Reproductive Health Services for Adolescents?: Qualitative Study

“…Providers in the study repeatedly complained lack of discussion between adolescents and parents. This nding agrees with the studies in India [20], Kenya [30] and Nigeria [31] and Ethiopia [32,33]. Other studies also indicated that lack of parental knowledge and positive control [32] as well as gender-selective in uence [34] and poor parental involvement in planning SRHs [35,36] barriers to accessing services.…”

“…Because, I see that adolescents are in uenced by peers not by theirs own decision." [Female, Age:[20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35] Health Extension] Another participant witnessed disclosing secrecy of adolescents from his experience. "Healthcare providers have a problem of keeping secrets about adolescent and sexual issues.…”

Access to Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Information and Services in Ghana: A Community-Based Case-Control Study

“…After 36 months, study participants in the treatment groups were less likely to have an STI and unprotected sex at last sexual encounter comparable to their counterparts in the two control conditions (62). This finding underscores the need to improve adolescent-parent communication and information sharing (63). This communication approach helps adolescents to establish individual values toward healthy sexual behaviors such as abstinence, improved contraception, how to prevent HIV, and other sexually transmitted diseases.…”

Parent-adolescent communication on sexual and reproductive health issues and its associated factors in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

“…Studies published from January 2000 to June 2020 were included in the systematic review and meta-analysis. The included studies were conducted in 5 Regions of Ethiopia; Amhara Region [ 12 , 14 , 18 , 19 , 25 ], Oromiya Region ([ 23 , 29 ]; Feyisa M: Parent-adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Communication and Associated Factors Among Secondary And Preparatory School Students In Fiche Town, North Shoa, Oromia Regional State, unpublished), Southern Nations Nationalities and People Region (SNNPR) [ 15 , 20 – 22 ], Tigray Region [ 24 ] and the capital Addis Ababa [ 26 ] see detail (Table 1 ).…”