Parent–adolescent discussion on sexual and reproductive health issues and its associated factors among parents in Sawla town, Gofa zone, Ethiopia

Abstract

Background Parent–adolescent discussion on sexual and reproductive health (SRH) issues leads to increased awareness on reproductive health matters and reduces risky behaviors among adolescents and also contributes to negative SRH outcomes. The aim of this study was to assess parent–adolescent discussion on SRH issues and its associated factors in Sawla town, Southern Ethiopia. Methods A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among parents of 10–19-year-olds in Sawla town from March to April 2020. A simple random sampling technique was employed to select 697 study subjects. Data were collected using a pretested structured questionnaire, adapted from the 2016 Ethiopia Demographic Health Survey and other published literature. The questionnaire consisted of questions about socio-demographic factors, knowledge about SRH issues, attitudes towards SRH issues, and discussions between parents and adolescents concerning SRH issues and was administered by face-to-face interviews p-value < 0.05 and 95%CI for adjusted odds ratios (AOR) were used to declare the significance of the associations. Results Of the total participants, 168 (25.7%) respondents had reported discussion about at least two components of SRH issues in the last 6 months prior to the study. Multiple logistic regression model revealed that attending primary education (AOR 3, 95% CI: 1.10, 7.70), secondary education (AOR 9, 95% CI: 3.87, 20.64) and diploma and above (AOR 22.33, 95% CI: 9.49, 32.56), monthly income of above 2000 Ethiopian Birr (AOR 2.40, 95% CI: 1.30, 4.55), good knowledge (AOR 2, 95% CI: 1.14, 3.50)and positive attitude (AOR 4, 95% CI: 1.57, 10) towards SRH issues were statically significant factors associated with increased parent–adolescent discussion about SRH. Conclusion The occurrence of parent–adolescent SRH discussion is low in Sawla town. Educational status, average monthly income, knowledge and attitude on SRH issues were major factors affecting parent–adolescent discussion on SRH issues. Continuous capacity building on SRH issues for parents to increase the level of parental knowledge and attitude about SRH issues and sustainable advocacy should be provided about the importance of parent to the adolescent discussion. Moreover, it is important to support and scale up the adult learning program to decrease the level of illiteracy.

Youths with disabilities: Utilization and predictors of Youths Friendly Reproductive Health Services in Dessie City Administration, North East Ethiopia, 2021: A cross‐sectional study

“…The difference might be due to no parental pressure, autonomy to take decisions, differences in participants' perception level of stigma, and open discussion skills on SRH issues. 21 In this study, 53.2% of youths with a visual impairment utilized YFRHS, inconsistently in the Sidama state study 63% of youths with disabilities utilized YFRHS. Utilization of YFRHS among hearing impairment was 41.7% more than the study conducted in the Sidama state (30%).…”

“…In this research finding, disabled youths living alone were 3.6 times more likely to use YFRHS than those living with parents. The difference might be due to no parental pressure, autonomy to take decisions, differences in participants' perception level of stigma, and open discussion skills on SRH issues 21 …”

“…The research was conducted in Dessie, which is located 401 km from Addis Ababa. In 2016, the entire population was 311,724 people, according to the city administration, and 87,904 of those 87,904 are youngsters aged [15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24]…”

Parent-Adolescent Communication on Sexual and Reproductive Health: Perceptions and Experiences of Out-Of-School Adolescent Mothers in the East Gonja Municipality, Ghana

“…Adolescence is a special developmental period often associated with diverse sexual and reproductive health (SRH) risks (Pichon et al, 2022). The World Health Organization (WHO) defines an adolescent as an individual aged 10 to 19 years (Bekele et al, 2022), and describes this period as a rapid and formative phase of human development (Malango et al, 2022). While transitioning from childhood to adulthood, adolescents undergo distinctive physical, cognitive, emotional, and sexual developmental changes which require special attention and consideration in both local and national policy and programme development (Malango et al, 2022).…”

“…The World Health Organization (WHO) defines an adolescent as an individual aged 10 to 19 years (Bekele et al, 2022), and describes this period as a rapid and formative phase of human development (Malango et al, 2022). While transitioning from childhood to adulthood, adolescents undergo distinctive physical, cognitive, emotional, and sexual developmental changes which require special attention and consideration in both local and national policy and programme development (Malango et al, 2022). Coupled with their curiosity, young people, especially those between 10 and 19 years of age, have relatively immature physical and mental strength which makes them highly vulnerable to distinctive sexual adventures (Asamoah & Agardh, 2018).…”