Predictors of Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights Knowledge among Adolescents in Gamo Zone, Southern Ethiopia: A Multi-Level Analysis.

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Understanding adolescents’ knowledge about Sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR) will help to empower them with the knowledge to make well-informed choices about their sexuality guides their decision-making and improves health outcomes. Despite this, there are limited studies related to adolescents' knowledge about SRHR in the study setting. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the level of SRHR knowledge and its predictors among adolescents in Gamo Zone, Southern Ethiopia. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from 2 March to 9 April 2023. A multistage stratified sampling technique was used to select study participants. A Structured face-to-face interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. Summary statistics and graphs were used to present the data. A multilevel linear regression analysis was used to identify individual and area (contextual)-level variables. Β-estimates at 95% confidence intervals (CI) and p-value of less than 0.05 were considered to declare a level of significance. The finding showed that 49.66% [95% CI (46.79, 52.53)] of adolescents had good knowledge about SRHR. The result of multilevel linear regression analysis reveals that older adolescents (β=4.29, 95% CI: 3.46 - 5.12), having history of sexual exposure (β=1.95, 95% CI: 0.87 –3.04), perceived risks for SRH problems (β=1.09, 95% CI: 0.10 - 2.07), had paid work in the last 12 months (β=2.49, 95% CI: 1.33 - 3.64), living with parents(β=1.62, 95% CI: 0.59 to 2.65), having exposure to social media in the last 12 months(β=1.73, 95% CI: 0.72 - 2.74), and short time spent to reach health facilities(β= 1.88, 95% CI: 0.90 - 2.85) were independent two-level predictors of SRHR knowledge. Therefore, to enhance adolescents' understanding of SRHR, the government, and other pertinent organizations must fortify the rights-based approach. Furthermore, it is imperative to enhance the distribution of information through social media, while enhancing job prospects for adolescents would enhance their knowledge of SRHR. Keywords: Adolescents; sexual and reproductive health rights; Knowledge; Southern; Ethiopia