Abstract
Most of the South African public health facilities fail to provide adolescent-friendly health services. A quantitative, descriptive research study was conducted at Stinkwater, a rural area in Hammanskraal, South Africa. The objective of the study was to describe the adolescent's preferences regarding primary health care services. A survey was conducted among 119 adolescents. It was found that adolescents wished to be involved in the planning of the activities of the adolescent health service, and that friendliness and respect for adolescents were seen as desirable characteristics of an adolescent-friendly health care service. Adolescents preferred services to be available throughout the week and to be located at the school, youth center, community center, hospital, or clinic. Health education was indicated as a priority and the health care team should include different members of a multidisciplinary team. Adolescents preferred that their health services be separated from adult services and that a male nurse be employed in the adolescent service in order to create a less feminine image. It was also recommended that all adolescents be educated about the types of services available. Understanding health care service preferences of adolescents is needed in order to deliver optimal health care to this group.
Highlights
Accessibility of health care services is a principal tenant of all components of primary health care in South Africa
The adolescents were asked to indicate their preferences regarding the characteristics of a functionally accessible health service and they were asked to indicate the hours and days of the week that would be suitable to them to attend the health service. They were asked about the geographical accessibility and their preferences regarding cultural accessibility, preferences regarding the availability of specific members of the health care team, types of service they would like to see included in the adolescent health service, and whether they had a need for health education
The results are tabulated according to demographic data as well as data about the functional, geographical, financial, and cultural accessibility of health care services
Summary
Accessibility of health care services is a principal tenant of all components of primary health care in South Africa. Access to health care is a priority regarding the health needs of adolescents as they experience physical, psychological, and social changes that may affect their health needs. Extensive research has established that most of the South African public health facilities fail to provide adolescentfriendly health services. Adolescents have to utilize existing primary health care services that are already overburdened. The growing demand for specialized health care services for adolescents is not being met by existing primary health care. Despite the fact that strategies for specific services are being introduced, the morbidity and mortality rates of adolescents continue to increase[1]. A recent review[2] indicated that variations of health care services to adolescents might be related to a combination of provider and patient
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