Bridging the Gap: Understanding Discrepancies in Mother-Adolescent Communication on Sexual and Reproductive Health in Kuching, Sarawak

Abstract

Adolescents who have access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) information are less likely to engage in risky sexual behaviours, and parents are among the best sources of this information. However, a lack of communication between parents and adolescents on SRH hinders the exchange of knowledge process. This study aims to describe the communication practices between mothers and adolescents on SRH in Kuching, Sarawak. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Kuching, Sarawak, on mothers and teenagers aged 13 to 17. The responses from the mothers and their respective adolescents' responses were reported as paired responses. The questionnaire was developed following the Information-Motivation-Behavioural Skills (IMB) model. Finally, the correlation between the communication level and the domains in the model was analysed. 152 pairs of mothers and adolescents participated in the study. The mean age of the mothers was 44.7 (SD=6.52) years old, and the mean age of adolescents was 15.1 (SD=1.42). About 69.1% of adolescents were female. The communication scores among the mothers were significantly higher than adolescents. Subsequently, the motivation and perceived communication skills domains were moderately correlated with their communication practice score. There was a discrepancy in the communication practice between mothers and adolescents, which indicated the effectiveness of the communication practice between mothers and adolescents on SRH. As a result, intervention programs targeting the IMB constructs of adolescents can improve the communication practice among adolescents on SRH.