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.
Highlights
Adolescent communication with parents is paramount to reduce sexual health problems
Despite remarkable progress has been made in increasing access to adolescent-friendly reproductive health services, more efforts are needed to shrink wide range of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) problems in Ethiopia in general and study area in particular
244 (59.4%), were residents living in the rural parts of the Hadiya Zone and most of them, 287 (69.8%), were living together with their parents
Summary
Adolescent communication with parents is paramount to reduce sexual health problems. There is a shortage of information on adolescent-parent communication in Ethiopia in general and study area in particular. In Ethiopia, more than 35% of the total population is made from adolescents and youths aged 10 to 24 years [1]. This big number is still facing big challenges in sexual and reproductive health and right services. The global community in general; Africa in particular has still a lot of unfinished agenda with regard to major STIs among adolescents. Adolescents, a vulnerable populations have multiple sexual and reproductive health problems including gender inequality, sexual coercion and partner violence, early marriage, polygamy, female genital mutilation, unplanned pregnancies, closely spaced pregnancies, abortion, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV/AIDS [2,3,4,5]
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