Influence of Youth Socio-Demographic Characteristics on their Perceptions of Health Facility Factors in Kisumu, Kakamega and Homabay Counties

Abstract

Worldwide, societal shifts and behavioural patterns exacerbated by unique developmental vulnerabilities create a confluence of factors that place today’s adolescents and youth at heightened risks for poor health outcomes. Youth’s Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) has emerged as an area of key concern globally and a major topic regarding planning and establishing health goals, as noted by the importance brought out by World Health Organization. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of youth socio-demographic characteristics on their perceptions of Health Facility factors in Homabay, Kisumu, and Kakamega Counties. The study utilised a cross-sectional descriptive design to understand the perceptions of youth seeking SRH services on health facility factors in Homabay, Kisumu, and Kakamega Counties. Findings indicate that SRH services received among youth were comparable, where 97% of males and 100% of females who visited health facilities for services received SRH services, respectively. Furthermore, findings show that only the sex variable among the socio-demographic characteristics had no significant difference, while age, education, and marital status all show significant differentials in perceptions among the youth seeking and utilising SRH services. The study also found statistically insignificant perceptions for the cost of service, opening hours convenience, cleanliness at the facility, and privacy in healthcare delivery, as a statistically significant difference was found in feeling comfortable to return any time for service and youth users to recommend health facility to friends, availability of prescribed drugs, knowledge, and skills of health personnel, waiting time, and overall satisfaction in manner youths was treated. This study recommends maximum optimisation of the opportunity presented by the existing healthcare system to provide SRH services to youths with the aim of reducing or eliminating differentials in SRH services access due to socio-demographic characteristics of youths.