Reproductive health status and related knowledge among women aged 20–39 years in rural China: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background Reproductive health is the core science of human life and is critical to the healthy and sustainable development of human society. Since 1980, China has enforced a “one child” policy. With the implementation of the Universal Two-Child Policy in 2016, every couple is allowed to have two children instead of one, which will lead to more pregnancies, births, and advanced maternal age. Thus, women aged 20–39 years, at the peak of sexual activity and fertility, will face more reproductive health problems related to pregnancies and births. This study aimed to investigate the current reproductive health status, knowledge, and factors associated with reproductive health knowledge among women aged 20–39 years in rural China. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in five villages of five cities in China. The data were collected using pre-tested and structured questionnaires through face-to-face interviews. The data were entered into Epidata version 3.0, and analyzed using SPSS version 18.0. A descriptive summary of the data and logistic regression were used to identify associated factors. Results One-third of the participants reported that they had suffered from gynecopathy, and 38.89% of participants with gynecopathy-related discomfort did not seek medical treatment. Condoms and intrauterine devices were the main contraceptive measures used, and 28.70% of women had a history of induced abortion. Over half of the respondents (53.00%) were classified as having a low reproductive health knowledge score. Factors associated with lower knowledge levels were lower education, no history of gynecopathy, and lack of acquiring knowledge from medical staff, WeChat/micro-blog, or the internet. Conclusion A poor reproductive health situation and low level of health knowledge were found among women aged 20–39 years in rural China. More specific interventions promoting reproductive health and targeting rural women aged 20–39 years are needed.

Prevalence of induced abortion among Chinese women aged 18–49 years: Findings from three cross-sectional studies

“…Meanwhile, those without children deserved equal concern because of their possibility of childbearing in the future. For the relationship between educational level, annual household income and induced abortion, a possible explanation is that women with higher educational levels and income might have higher levels of health literacy, especially better contraceptive knowledge and practice which allow them to better avoid unintended pregnancies and ensuing abortions ( 18 , 34 ). In short, we should attach importance to women living in western and central regions, with and without children, and with a lower educational level or household income.…”

Do family values and reproductive health knowledge influence reproductive health-promoting behaviors in married women? A cross-sectional survey

“…본 연구 결과와 함께 Park과 Choi [ 13 ]의 연구에서도 생식건강 지식이 생식건강증진행위를 통계적으로 유의하게 증가시켰다. 그러나 2020년 20–39세 기혼여성 427명을 대상으로 한 생식건강지식을 확인한 결과[ 24 ] 응답자의 절반 이상 생식건강지식 점수가 낮은 것으로 나타났으며, 2021년 20–49세 기혼여성 159명을 대상으로 생식건강지식을 확인한 연구[ 25 ]에서는 종교 및 민간요법에 따른 치료 의존도가 높고 생식건강지식은 낮은 것으로 확인되었다. 반면에, 국내에서는 2021년 10월부터 입법 예고된 모자보건법 개정안에서 생식건강과 관련한 정확한 지식 정보와 서비스의 제공을 명시[ 26 ]하므로 생식건강지식의 중요성이 커지고 있음을 확인할 수 있다.…”

Maternal health literacy and pregnancy outcomes in Afghanistan

“…The majority of participants (89.5%) were in the range of 20–39, which is the peak reproductive years of women. [ 22 ] Both mean MHL and PO scores increased significantly with age ( P ≤ 0, 0001). Compared with participants with lower education (elementary, mean 31.5) and those who earned lower (income 10,000–15,000 Afg, mean 34.2), the mean value of MHL was higher for participants with higher education (secondary, mean 35.9 and tertiary, mean 36.3) and higher-income (>15,000 Afg, mean 36.9).…”