Critical thinking and decision-making skills regarding reproductive health among pupils in Central Java

Abstract

Many teenagers are entangled in promiscuity which results in unwanted pregnancies, early marriages, or abortions. How a teenager decides something in their life is influenced by their previous experience and environment. This study aims to determine the critical thinking and decision-making skills of pre-adolescence children in terms of reproductive health. This research is a cross- sectional study conducted on 12,689 pupils in Semarang, Central Java Province, Indonesia. The proportion of respondents based on sex and grade is quite balanced. As many as 49% of the pupils lack knowledge and a permissive attitude (52.5%) about reproductive health. Of 50% of pupils have low critical thinking skills and only 61.4% have good decision-making skills. Girls have better critical thinking skills than boys (p=0.004). Knowledge affects critical thinking and decision-making skills in pupils (OR=1.2). Pupils who can think critically tend to have good decision-making skills (p<0.001, OR=5.1). Decision-making skills in children are influenced by critical thinking skills. Both are influenced by knowledge. The health and education offices need to collaborate to increase pupils’ health and reproductive knowledge.

School-based sexual and reproductive health education among adolescents in developing countries

“…School-based sex education programs have proven to contribute toward improving sexual reproductive health and reducing risky sexual behavior. This intervention increased the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors in sexual health, specifically in pregnancy prevention, as well as delaying sexual desire, condom use, and HIV prevention [18], [25], [29], [35]. In addition, it also minimizes the risk of spreading hoax information from friends about sexual and reproductive health [36].…”