Family Life Education Research Articles

Commentary: Accelerating the quest for integrated and comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services in Nigeria

By centralising sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and rights, gender equality and adolescent empowerment within sustainable development, the 1994 International Conference on Population and Devel...

An Exploratory Study on Family Life Education based on Multi-cultural Perspective

An Exploratory Study on Family Life Education based on Multi-cultural Perspective

Yuva school life skills programme: Its role in promoting physical and mental well-being of students

Adolescence is the growth phase when psychological and physiological changes take place. India has the largest population of adolescents in the world, being home to 243 million individuals aged 10-19 years. About one-quarter of India's population comprises of adolescents. India's adolescents constitute 20% of the world's 1.2 billion adolescents (UNICEF, 2009). Investing in the world's 1.2 billion adolescents, aged between 10-19 years, can break entrenched cycles of poverty and inequity, said UNICEF in its 2011 State of the World's Children Report entitled 'Adolescence: An Age of Opportunity'. It is time for India to address the issues of empowering its adolescents who are now part of global village through electronic media and internet.The surveys conducted by Government agencies and Non-Governmental Organizations present us a picture about the physical and mental well being of India's adolescent population. Some of the figures are being presented here. 30% of the billion-strong population of the country is young people while 20% would qualify as adolescents (Census of India, 2001). The projected number of drug abusers in India is about 3 million, and most are in the age group 16-35(UNODC, 2003). More than one-quarter (27%) of Indian women age 20-49 married before age 15; over half (58%) married before legal age of 18, and three-quarter (74%) married before reaching age 20 (NFHS III, Vol. II p. 212, 2007). Only 15% youth reported that they had received family life or sex education in school or through special programs sponsored by the government or NGOs ('Youth in India: Situation and Needs 2006-07'). 83% young men and 78% young women in the age group 15-24 expressed that they perceived family life education to be important (IIPS: Pop Council Youth survey, 2006-07). As regards discussion on sexuality issues with parents, low figures of 0-2% of young men and 1 -6% of young women had discussed romantic relationships and reproductive processes with either parent. An extremely significant 47% of women and 16% men reported having never received any information on sexual matters from anybody. 19% of young women aged 20-24 were married before age 15,49% before age 18 and 67% before age 20. In contrast, just 7% of young men aged 20-24 were married before age 18 and 16% before age 20 ('Youth in India: Situation and Needs 2006-07'; conducted by the International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai, and Population Council, New Delhi). Among women age 25-49,20% had sexual intercourse before they were 15 years old, and 55% before age 18 (NFHS III, Vol. II p.217,2007). Overall, one in six women age 15-19 has begun childbearing (NFHS III, Vol. II p.33, 2007). 35% of all reported AIDS cases in India occur among young people in the age group of 15-24 years and more than 50% of the new HIV infections occur also among young people (NACO, 2005). Over 50% of all new HIV infections in India take place among young adults between 15-24 years (UNICEF India). In spite of heavy campaigning, 60% women in India had never heard of HIV and AIDS (NFHS III, 2007). According to a national level Indian study on child abuse conducted by the Ministry of Women and Child Development in 2007, out of a total of 12,447 children, across 13 states, 53.22% reported having faced severe and other forms of sexual abuse. Among them 52.94% were boys and 47.06% girls. Approximately 70% of abused children have never reported the matter to anyone. In Uttar Pradesh, only 8.7% of married women ages 15-19 reported use of condoms. (NFHS-3,2005-06: UP 2007).These figures make us aware about the alarming conditions. Many state governments as well as NGOs have taken initiatives to address these problems. Uttarakhand's Government launched Vidyalayi AIDS Shiksha Karyakram (Schools AIDS Education Programme) and Rajasthan's Government launched Jivan Kaushal Shiksha (Life Skills Education). Rajasthan Govt, introduced Life Skills Education as a compulsory subject for class XI in all Govt, and Private schools in year 2005; they used the framework of Core Life Skills with a focus on empowering adolescents to make informed choices and decisions. …

‘It's good to teach them, but … they should also know when to apply it’: parents’ views and attitudes towards Fiji's Family Life Education curriculum

A Family Life Education (FLE) curriculum was introduced in Fiji schools in 2010 in response to concern about increasing teenage pregnancies and young people's vulnerability to sexually transmitted infections and other health and social problems. However, conservative and suspicious parental attitudes towards FLE have been an obstacle. The need for an educational programme for parents to complement the FLE curriculum taught in schools is now urgent. This study examines parents' views on the sex and sexuality component of the FLE curriculum. Data were collected from 474 individuals using questionnaires, focus groups and face-to-face interviews. Participants represented different ethnic groups with Indigenous Fijians, women and Christians in the majority. The influence of the Christian religion on negative attitudes towards homosexuality and the use of protection is strong, as is parents' resistance to discussing sex education with their children. The paper concludes with suggestions on how to counter parents’ resistance to what they negatively perceive as Western or unbiblical ideas.

Preventive Family Life Education based on Home Economics and Family Studies: Part 1

Preventive Family Life Education based on Home Economics and Family Studies: Part 1

Preventive Family Life Education based on Home Economics and Family Studies: Part 2

Preventive Family Life Education based on Home Economics and Family Studies: Part 2

대학생이 인식한 부모-자녀관계 특성에 따른 결혼가치관 및 배우자 선택조건

The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of parent-child relationship perceived by university students on value of marriage and partner selection criteria. Questionnaires were distributed to 467 university students with questions covering topics including general personal information and characteristics, parent-child relationship, value of marriage and partner selection criteria. To analysis the data, t-test, ANOVA, and two step cluster analysis was used. The female group A with passive parent-child relationship had high level of negative value of marriage, male group D with active parent-child relationship had high level of romantic and instrumental value of marriage. The male and female passive group considered external condition as a partner selection criteria more than male and female active group does. As a partner selection criteria, passive male group recognized internal condition more than passive and active female group does. and active female group recognized situational condition more than passive male group does. This study reveals that university students' parent-child relationship does have an effect on their value of marriage and partner selection criteria. It is therefore proposed that diversify objectives and education content of family life education should relate not only to individuals' value of marriage but also to their parent-child relationship.

Investigating the Timing of First Sexual Intercourse Among Youth in EDO State, Nigeria in the Context of the Aids Epidemic

ABSTRACT Objectives This study examined the timing of sexual debut among youth in Edo state, Nigeria given the role that sexual abstinence plays in HIV prevention in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods Survey data were collected from rural youth aged 11 to 17 years old enrolled in Junior Secondary Schools in Edo State, Nigeria. Discrete-time hazard techniques were used to examine the effects of theoretically relevant covariates on the timing of sexual debut among youth in Edo State. Results Results indicate strong, significant relationships between psychosocial predictors and age at first sex for boys and girls. Youth with higher levels of knowledge about HIV as well as those who rejected common myths about HIV transmission delayed first sexual intercourse. Early sexual intercourse was strongly associated with experiencing pressure to engage in sex, while delay was associated with greater confidence that one could decline to participate in sex. On the other hand, youth with higher condom use self-efficacy engaged in first sexual intercourse at an earlier age. Conclusions These results support the relevance of programs such as Nigeria's Family Life and HIV Education to contribute to delaying sexual intercourse focusing precisely on the forms of knowledge, myth rejection, motivation, and behavioral self-efficacy measured here. They provide policymakers with concrete evidence to increase support for such programming as a means to combat the spread of HIV among youth.

중년기 기혼남녀의 100세 사회 가족생활 전망과 가족정책에의 함의점

This study attempted to explore how middle aged married men and women prospected a Centenarian society and what implications their prospect cast for family policy. We conducted focus group interviews with five groups in order to identify their subjective prospects on marital relations, parent-child relations, caregiving from family or institutions, and alternative living arrangement. From those interviews, we found that married men and women in their 40s, 50s, and 60s possessed ambivalent attitudes toward their marital relationship, either acknowledging an importance of marital relationship or accepting long-standing disrespectful marital relationship. They also had a dualistic perspective on parent-child relationship, accepting parental responsibility for children and even grand-children but maintaining low expectations for children. What they needed was age appropriate opportunities for work or leisure and better community services and facilities. These results showed that the middle-aged was concerned experiencing unprecedented family situations. They needed family life education and services in order to adapt to the Centenarian society. Since family policy has viewed this age group out of service target, programs and services have been underdeveloped for this group. Expecting a Centenarian society however, we need to expand the boundary of family policy and take a new perspective. We need to develop and implement marital education programs, community-based self-care services, and age-appropriated opportunities for work, leisure, and social relations.

Assessment of adolescents’ communication on sexual and reproductive health matters with parents and associated factors among secondary and preparatory schools’ students in Debremarkos town, North West Ethiopia

BackgroundSexuality and reproductive health are among the most fundamental aspects of life. Poor parental involvement in preparing young people for safe sexual life and good reproductive health was part of the blame for the lack of skills on sexual decision making. Despite the growing needs, there is no adequate health service or counseling specifically suitable for this specific age group and research on the role of parents in this process has yielded inconsistent results.ObjectiveThe objective of the study is to assess adolescents’ communication on sexual and reproductive health issues with parents and associated factors among secondary and preparatory schools students in Debremarkos town.MethodsSchool based study was conducted among secondary and preparatory schools students in Debremarkos town, from April 8 to 21, 2012. Multistage sampling and self administered questionnaires were employed.ResultsThe proportion of the students who had discussion on sexual & reproductive health issues with their parent was found to be 254 (36.9%). Mother who able to read and write (AOR = 2; 95% CI 1.3 to 3.1), adolescents accepting discussion of sexual & reproductive health issues (AOR = 2.5 95% CI 1.3 to 4.5), adolescents who ever got SRH information (AOR = 2; 95% CI 1.4 to 2.9), adolescents who ever had sexual intercourse (AOR = 1.7; 95% CI 1.1 to 2.6) were found to have significant positive associations, and being grade 12 students (AOR = 0.4; 95% CI 0.2 to 0.7) and having less than three family size (AOR = 0.5; 95% CI 0.2 to 0.9) showed significant negative associations.Conclusion and recommendationStudy unveils that parent –adolescent communications on sexual and reproductive health issues is low, only about one third of the students were communicating on SRH issues. Therefore; there is a need to equip and educate parents on different sexual & reproductive health issues. Comprehensive family life education should also be initiated for the students and parents.

Sexual education from the view of high school students

Abstract Introduction. Sexual education is still a non-defined area concerning the sex life of man. It is perceived differently depending on the country and its culture. In Poland, it should be implemented as part of ‘Family Life Education’. Objective. The aim of the research is to present the opinion of male and female high school students concerning sex education. Materials and methods. The research was conducted in 2014 on 450 male and female high school students in two provinces of Poland: 225 students from the Stanislaw Konarski High School in Mielec, Podkarpackie Province, and 225 from the Zbigniew Herbert High School in Lublin, Lubelskie province. Results. Close to half of the surveyed participated in a class ‘Family Life Education’ (48%); however, 32% and 22.9% were not satisfied with the class. Poor aspects of the subject were observed by the great majority of students (70%). Most of the youths (68.9%) desire a more complex approach to the subject, to be led by a medical specialist (68%). Conclusions. The students stated that sex education as part of ‘Family Life Education’ class is not satisfactory. They demand a specialist, medical knowledge of human sexuality. Parents, who should constitute a major source of information, had considerable influence in the sex education of their children.

Involvement of Mothers in Educating Their Children on Family Life and Related Issues in Awka South LGA, Anambra State

Five focus group discussions were held with 100 mothers of adolescent girls in Awka South LGA of Anambra State to assess their involvement in family life education for their children. The mothers perceived that girls should be told about menstruation only after attaining menarche and their fathers and brothers should not know about it. The girls were told at the time of marriage how they should behave with their parents-in-law, sister-in-law and husband. No information was given about what is intercourse, how conception occurred and on family planning measures. The mothers were uncomfortable about imparting family life education to their daughters. According to them, the girls can get information through their friends and elder sisters. Doctors, nurses, health personnel and teachers could impart family life education and this should be done to the girls only after attaining menarche.

Portfolios in Family Science: A Template for Integrating Family Life Education

Portfolios in Family Science: A Template for Integrating Family Life Education

The application of Family Life Cycle and Family Life Education for Christian Education

The application of Family Life Cycle and Family Life Education for Christian Education

Sex education and the promotion of heteronormativity

This article examines the promotion of heteronormativity (defined as monogamous, marital, middle class, and white heterosexuality) in US school policy, and argues that sexuality education policies, standards, and curricula demonstrate ambivalence towards LGBTQ individuals and families, and recirculate and reproduce racialized, gendered norms about what forms of desire and familial attachment are appropriate and healthy for American citizens. The author analyzes federal- and state-level sexuality education law and demonstrates how they are linked to the racialized regulation of individuals and populations, as well as how they link heteronormativity with positive affects and non-heteronormative families with negative affects. The article also takes Virginia’s Family Life Education Curricular Standards as a case study of the promotion of heteronormativity and the regulation of affect and intimacy. The author argues that the state’s promotion of heteronormativity in education policy and curricula both enacts and legitimates homophobia in schools.

Youth in India Ready for Sex Education? Emerging Evidence from National Surveys

ContextSex education/family life education (FLE) has been one of the highly controversial issues in Indian society. Due to increasing incidences of HIV/AIDS, RTIs/STIs and teenage pregnancies, there is a rising need to impart sex education. However, introducing sex education at school level always received mixed response from various segments of Indian society.Data and MethodsWe attempt to understand the expectations and experiences of youth regarding family life education in India by analysing the data from District Level Household and Facility Survey (DLHS-3: 2007–08) and Youth Study in India (2006–07). We used descriptive methods to analyse the extent of access to FLE and socio demographic patterning among Indian youth.Results and DiscussionsWe found substantial gap between the proportion of youth who perceived sex education to be important and those who actually received it, revealing considerable unmet need for FLE. Youth who received FLE were relatively more aware about reproductive health issues than their counterparts. Majority among Indian youth, irrespective of their age and sex, favoured introduction of FLE at school level, preferably from standard 8th onwards. The challenge now is to develop a culturally-sensitive FLE curriculum acceptable to all sections of society.

ARSH 6: Reproductive Health Needs Assessment of Adolescents and Young People (15–24 y): A Qualitative Study on ‘Perceptions of Program Managers and Health Providers’

To understand the perceptions of program managers and service providers using in depth interview technique, a well-accepted qualitative research that can also offer semi quantitative input. Need assessment was done qualitatively using in-depth interviews, among program managers of health care system including District Medical Officers and RCH Officers and program service providers, both in rural and urban areas. In total 34 in-depth interviews were conducted. Nearly half (2+) of the program managers and service providers of adolescent programs opined that the important problems faced by adolescents were issues related to sexuality, psychosocial conflict, identity crisis, adjustment problems and scholastic problems. Approximately half of them thought that improper parenting, negative attitude of parents, separated parents, ignorance of parents, family background, nuclear family setup etc. are the most important factors, which influence adolescent problems and that friends and media are their major source of reproductive sexual health information. Nearly half of them pointed out that pain and psychological disturbances like anxiety, tension and anger were the important menstrual problems faced by adolescents. Again nearly half of them, felt that FLE (Family Life Education) should be given at school and ARSH services at PHCs, but there was little consensus on provision of contraceptive service and abortion services to adolescents. All the service providers and program managers are ready to cooperate but they had varied opinions about who should impart adolescent reproductive sexual health education and how the program should be done.

ARSH 8: Family Life Education and Counseling: A School Based Model

To understand the problems of school going adolescents in selected schools in the first phase and to provide class based family life education in the second phase. Step 1: Identification of the study sample, Step 2: Each adolescent was individually administered TSQ-T by trained project staff , Step 3: 'Family life education' sessions were held for the whole class together, Step 4: Queries were collected on a slip of paper without writing their names, Step 5: Those needing medical attention was seen by a medical doctor and psychologist Step 6: Preparation of a guide book named "101 questions", Step 7: Upscaling the project as a service component to Government schools. 4.6% of school going boys and 2.5% of girls were underweight and 4.4% of boys and 7.8% of girls were obese. Less than 5% of adolescents had symptoms suggestive of various mental health disorders, 2.6-8.3% for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), 3% for eliminating disorder, 0.9-2.2% for conduct disorder, 0.9-3.3% for anxiety disorders, 1.7-4.4% for depression and 0.8-1.1% for psychosis. Adolescent school going girls had a mean age of menarche at 12.7 y and 46% of girls did not receive any prior information about menarche. Screening of adolescents using TSQ-T developed at CDC, Kerala and used extensively in community projects, was found to be useful in identifying adolescents with nutrition and lifestyle issues, scholastic problems, mental health problems and reproductive health problems.

ARSH 5: Reproductive Health Needs Assessment of Adolescents and Young People (15–24 y): A Qualitative Study on ‘Perceptions of Community Stakeholders’

To explore the perceived reproductive health problems, health seeking behaviors, knowledge about available services and barriers to reach services among adolescents in order to improve reproductive health services for adolescents. The study was conducted in three districts of Kerala and need assessment was done qualitatively using focus group discussions (FGDs), five each from all the three districts among junior public health nurses (JPHNs), anganwadi workers (AWWs), non-government organizations (NGOs), community leaders and adolescents. Majority of community stakeholders expressed that adolescents get knowledge regarding personal hygiene from their family itself and that they have poor knowledge about genital hygiene. Pain and associated problems are the most important difficulties faced by adolescent girls during menstrual periods. Most of the adolescents believed that excessive masturbation is a very dangerous practice. Most of the community stakeholders pointed out that though our adolescents know about HIV, they have very poor knowledge about other STIs and that parental ignorance increases vulnerability for sexual abuse among adolescents. They also suggested family life education sessions at schools and colleges for younger ones and premarital counseling for older ones, apart from counseling services and adolescent clinics. The important barriers in the utilization of services for adolescents are lack of awareness of parents, stigma to utilize services, economic factors, facility available at faraway places, and non-availability of services. The need for adolescent friendly health services and premarital counseling services in the community attached to health facilities, has been highlighted.

Impact Assessment of the Health and Family Life Education in Jamaica

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the Health and Family Life Education (HFLE) program in Jamaican primary schools, paying attention to the impact of life skill teaching on the knowledge, attitudes, behaviors and practices of grade six students, 11-13 year olds, exposed to the HFLE program. A survey was conducted during the month of March 2010 in nine schools fully implementing the HFLE program, which were matched with nine Non-HFLE schools across Jamaica. Participants in the survey were distributed as follows: 273 HFLE and 228 Non-HFLE, for a total of 501. The aptitude of surveyed students was tested using indicators relating to four HFLE thematic areas: self and interpersonal relationships, sexuality and sexual health, eating and fitness and managing the environment. The findings of the study were mainly two-fold: (i) overall, grade six students from HFLE schools reported more positive attitudes, greater knowledge and fewer risk behaviors than students from Non-HFLE schools; and (ii) the HFLE program had benefited female more than male students. In conclusion, this research suggests that the HFLE program has been largely successful in Jamaican primary schools, although some HFLE schools were not implementing the program effectively on some HFLE themes.