Abstract
Parenting skill is one of the crucial needs that parents must have in caring adolescents’ sexual health risk behavior. Present study aims to determine predictors of parenting skills in preventing adolescents’ sexual health risk behavior. A cross sectional study was conducted among adolescents’ parents who attended government health clinics in a semi-urban district, West Malaysia. Data were collected by systematic random sampling using validated questionnaire from eight government health clinics based on routine daily out-patient services. There were 386 respondents participated with 98.9% of response rate. Parental skill is categorized as appropriate or inappropriate based on Trans-Theoretical Model (TTM) staging. Eighteen independent variables were used: parental socioeconomic status, adolescent characteristic, parenting style, parent-adolescent communication, parental stress, perception on adolescent sexual risk, comfortable in discussing sexual issues, knowledge in sexual reproductive health (SRH) and knowledge in HIV/AIDS. Assessment of parenting skills using the TTM stage showed 139 respondents (36%) had inappropriate parenting skills, in which they were in pre contemplation, contemplation or preparedness stages, while 247 respondents (64%) showed appropriate parenting skills when they were in action and maintenance stages of TTM. Older parent, late adolescent, low parental education level, extended family living arrangement, comfortable in discussing sexual issues, good parent-adolescent communication and higher knowledge in HIV/AIDS were found significant in bivariate analysis. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified older parent (AOR = 1.927, 95% CI = 1.889 - 1.966, p < 0.001), lower parental education (AOR = 2.394, 95% CI = 1.348 - 4.254, p = 0.003), comfortable in discussing sexual issues (AOR = 3.810, 95% CI = 1.622 - 8.948, p = 0.002), good parent-adolescent communication (AOR = 4.741, 95% CI = 2.478 - 9.071, p ≤ 0.001) and having higher knowledge on HIV/AIDS (AOR = 2.804, 95% CI = 1.528 - 5.147, p = 0.001) as significant predictors for appropriate parenting skills in preventing adolescent sexual health risk behavior. In conclusion, more than one third of parents were still not ready in preventing adolescent sexual risk behavior. Targeting the young parents and those having difficulty in communicating sexual issues with theirs adolescents should be emphasized in early intervention program for parents. Self-assessment using TTM stage questionnaire will help parents to identify their parenting skills in preventing adolescent sexual health risk behavior.
Highlights
Parenting skill is an important element that affects parents in educating their children and ensuring excellence of all aspects in their life
Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified older parent (AOR = 1.927, 95% CI = 1.889 - 1.966, p < 0.001), lower parental education (AOR = 2.394, 95% CI = 1.348 - 4.254, p = 0.003), comfortable in discussing sexual issues (AOR = 3.810, 95% CI = 1.622 - 8.948, p = 0.002), good parent-adolescent communication (AOR = 4.741, 95% CI = 2.478 - 9.071, p ≤ 0.001) and having higher knowledge on HIV/AIDS (AOR = 2.804, 95% CI = 1.528 - 5.147, p = 0.001) as significant predictors for appropriate parenting skills in preventing adolescent sexual health risk behavior among parents
Theoretical Model (TTM) assessment can be done among parents in identifying the level of parenting skills
Summary
Parenting skill is an important element that affects parents in educating their children and ensuring excellence of all aspects in their life. It is one of the crucial needs that parents must have in caring adolescent sexual health risk behavior. The best parenting skill approached is not naturally born but must be learned and practiced by every parent to ensure the health and safety of their children. Improving the sexual and reproductive health development of adolescent is a global priority that needs a systematic and targeted approach in facing the challenges. Parents do have a strong influence on their adolescents’ sexual and reproductive health and risk behaviors
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