School-based Reproductive Health Education Research Articles

Participatory Action Research Approach to improve Adolescent Girls' Reproductive Health.

Objective:School-based reproductive health education programs (RHEP) motivate adolescent girls to maintain and improve their health, and prevent diseases. The purpose of this PAR was to design, implement and evaluate RHEP to strengthen adolescent girl's reproductive health.Methods:The PAR process was selected as an RHEP strategy, and it has four main phases, including: 1) assessment to explore the reproductive health education needs (RHEN) of adolescent girls. We collected data through in-depth individual interviews with 11 adolescent girls (12-18 years) in high school, 2 focus group discussions (FGD), and 4 interviews with the key informants. 2) Intervention design involved a Delphi approach to design an intervention that would address each need using 7 expert participants with a background in primary health, health promotion and other youth-focused professions. 3) In the action plan phase, the workshops, lecture meetings, counseling, and FGD were organized by the research team. 4) The impact of the intervention was evaluated through a mixed evaluation methodology, a semi-structured interviews with stakeholders and key informant, quasi-experimental assessment and FGD.Results:There were three themes we extracted from the data: (a) the need for RHP for adolescent girls, (b) sources of information about RH, and (c) the need to empower teachers to provide RHEP to their students. a) Workshops, (b Counseling, c) Lecture Meetings, d) Focus Group. The study showed that the level of knowledge about RH in more than half of the participants was poor and only in nearly half of them it was moderate.Conclusion:Results suggest that Iranian adolescents do not have adequate education regarding RH, and RHEP by PAR can be effective in improving the knowledge and behavior of female students.

ANALISA FAKTOR-FAKTOR YANG BERHUBUNGAN DENGAN PEMBERIAN MATERI PENDIDIKAN KESEHATAN REPRODUKSI PADA SISWA SEKOLAH DASAR DI KECAMATAN SEMARANG TIMUR KOTA SEMARANG

AbstracReproductive health education is part of health education which is essentially a form of intervention to create behaviors that are conducive to health. This will work well if done in an organized environment such as the school environment. Schools are a place to learn most teenagers are ideal places to provide health education, especially adolescent reproductive health. School-based reproductive health education is one of the most important and broad ways to help adolescents recognize and avoid risks related to reproductive health and increase knowledge about reproductive health. This study aims to determine the relationship of attitudes, perceptions and support of principals to the behavior of teachers in the provision of reproductive health education materials for elementary school students in the East Semarang sub-district of Semarang City. This research was included in an explanatory research study that explained the relationship between independent variables and dependent variables through hypothesis testing that had been formulated. The method used in this study is a survey method using cross sectional approach, where the independent variables and dependent variables are examined simultaneously. The number of samples is 34 respondents, data analysis uses chi square. The results of this study indicate there is a relationship between perceptions, attitudes and support of school principals with the behavior of giving reproductive health education materials to elementary school students in East Semarang Subdistrict, Semarang City based on the results of Sig ≤0,05 so Ho is rejected. Suggestions in this study are for teachers, educational institutions, health workers and the community to support the provision of reproductive health education in accordance with the age of children. Keywords: Factors, Reproductive Health Education

Teenage Pregnancy and Its Associated Factors among School Adolescents of Arba Minch Town, Southern Ethiopia.

Teenage pregnancy has long been a worldwide social, economic and educational concern for the developed, developing and underdeveloped countries. Studies on adolescent sexuality and pregnancy are very limited in our country. Therefore, this study aims to assess the prevalence of teenage pregnancy and its associated factors among school adolescents of Arba Minch Town. Institution-based, cross-sectional study was conducted from 20-30 March 2014. Systematic sampling technique was used to select a total of 578 students from four schools of the town. Data were collected by trained data collectors using a pre-tested, self-administered structured questionnaire. Analysis was made using SPSS version 20.0 statistical packages. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify the predictors of teenage pregnancy. The prevalence of teenage pregnancy among school adolescents of Arba Minch Town was 7.7%. Being grade 11 student (AOR=4.6;95%CI:1.4,9.3), grade 12 students (AOR=5.8;95% CI:1.3,14.4), not knowing the exact time to take emergency contraceptives (AOR=3.3;95%CI:1.4,7.4), substance use (AOR=3.1;95%CI:1.1,8.8), living with either of biological parents (AOR=3.3;95%CI:1.1,8.7) and poor parent-daughter interaction (AOR=3.1;95%CI:1.1,8.7) were found to be significant predictors of teenage pregnancy. This study revealed high level of teenage pregnancy among school adolescents of Arba Minch Town. A significant number of adolescent female students were at risk of facing the challenges of teenage pregnancy in the study area. School-based reproductive health education and strong parent-daughter relationships are recommended.

Student support for reproductive health education in middle schools: findings from Lebanon

Reproductive health education (RHE) programmes in schools are a well-recognised means of helping young people make informed decisions relating to their sexual health and well-being. Very little research however has investigated attitudes towards such programmes among students in the Arab world. A national HIV education curriculum was developed in Lebanon in 2005. However, in the context of competing priorities and mixed levels of social resistance, curriculum implementation to date is far from universal. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of support for school-based RHE and the main factors associated with such support among young people aged 11–16 years in Lebanon. A secondary analysis of data from the 2011 Global school-based Student Health Survey (GSHS) was conducted. Students who supported RHE (58.1%) were more likely to be of higher grade level (adjusted OR [Odds Ratio] = 1.78, p-value = 0.005), to have ever drunk alcohol (adjusted OR = 1.52, p-value = 0.012), to prefer mixed classes for RHE (adjusted OR = 3.19, p-value < 0.0001), to say RHE should start before or at puberty (adjusted OR = 3.57, p-value < 0.0001), and to be exposed to more health education topics in school (adjusted OR = 1.2, p-value < 0.0001). Identifying such sub-groups in the student body should inform the equitable implementation of RHE in culturally diverse settings like Lebanon.

Evaluation of school-based reproductive health education program for adolescent girls

To evaluate the effectiveness of school-based reproductive health education for adolescent girls on the reproductive knowledge level of the girls. This research was carried out as a quasi-experimental study at two vocational girls high schools, one of which was used as the study school and the other as the control school. The study group (97 students) consisted of three classes representing every grade. The control group consisted of students selected likewise (92 students). Reproductive health education was given to students in the study group for 10 weeks; the control group was not subjected to any educational program. The impact of the program was evaluated with reproductive health knowledge test designed for this study. A pretest evaluated baseline knowledge, and a posttest measured the gain in knowledge. Baseline knowledge score of students in study and control group were similar and low (p > 0.05). We found that the reproductive health knowledge level of students in the study group increased significantly after the program of education. Post-test knowledge scores (75.03 +/- 13.82) of the students in the study group were higher than those of the control group (36.65 +/- 14.17). The results showed students' low baseline knowledge and a good ability to learn. A school-based reproductive health education is needed to promote knowledge and prevention in reproductive health among teenagers.

Sexual and reproductive health service needs of university/college students: updates from a survey in Shanghai, China

To promote the provision of reproductive health services to young people by exploring the attitudes and perceptions of university students in Shanghai, China, toward reproductive health. From July 2004 to May 2006, 5 243 students from 14 universities in Shanghai took part in our survey. Topics covered the demands of reproductive health-care services, attitudes towards and experience with sex, exposure to pornographic material, and knowledge on sexual health and sexually transmitted infections (STIs)/AIDS. Of the 5 067 students who provided valid answer sheets, 50.05% were female and 49.95% were male, 14.86% were medical students, and 85.14% had non-medical backgrounds. A total of 38.4% of respondents had received reproductive health education previously. The majority of students supported school-based reproductive health education, and also acquired information about sex predominantly from books, schoolmates, and the Internet. Premarital sexual behavior was opposed by 17.7% of survey participants, and 37.5% could identify all the three types of STIs listed in the questionnaire. Although 83.7% knew how HIV is transmitted, only 55.7% knew when to use a condom and 57.8% knew that the use of condoms could reduce the risk of HIV infection. The reproductive health service is lagging behind current attitudes and demands of university students. Although students' attitudes towards sexual matters are liberal, their knowledge about reproductive health and STIs/AIDS is still limited. It is therefore necessary to provide effective and confidential reproductive health services to young people.

Evaluation of a School-Based Reproductive Health Education Program in Rural South Western, Nigeria

This quasi-experimental study compared the relative efficacy of teacher instructions alone, peer education alone, and a combination of these two on reproductive health knowledge, attitude, perceived self-efficacy and sexual practices among secondary schools students in the Ibarapa district of Southwestern Nigeria. A baseline questionnaire was administered to a systematic sample of students in four schools that were randomized into four treatment arms: teacher instructions alone (E1), peer education alone (E2), combination of teacher instruction and peer education (E3), and control. The results were used to design the contents of the interventions, which were implemented for one academic session. A follow-up survey using the same sampling procedures as baseline was conducted to measure the outcome of the intervention. The control group had superior reproductive health knowledge at baseline. By follow-up survey however, all three intervention schools showed significant knowledge gains, while the control school students' mean score increased slightly. Increase in knowledge was greatest among E3 (+5.0 points), followed by E2 (+3.4), E1 (+1.4) and C (0.3). The intervention schools showed a significant positive shift in attitude towards use of contraceptives with mean increase of 0.6, 0.5, and 0.9 points in E1, E2 and E3 respectively. Scores that measured the students' perceived self-efficacy for safe sex increased significantly among E1 (from 10.8 to 11.8) and E3 (from 10.4 to 12.6). Reported condom use was significantly higher among E2 (from 16.7 % to 62.8%) (p < 0.05) and E3 (from 22.8% to 53%) (p < 0.05) compared to El (28.6% to 47.40%) (p > 0.05) and control (from 25% to 45.8%) (p > 0.05). Overall, the students from E3 showed more improvement in knowledge, attitude and self-efficacy, than their counterparts from E2 and E3 and control. Multiple intervention strategies have greater potential of improving reproductive health of students.

Sexuality Education: Our Current Status, and an Agenda for 2010

Three articles are presented that record changes in American public schools sexuality education during the last decade of the 20th century. These articles include "Adolescent Views," which reports major shifts in the prevalence and content of school-based reproductive health education over 1988-95. Instruction is focused on HIV/AIDS prevention, contraceptive education, how to say no to sex, and condoms. In "Changing Emphases," teachers of grades 7-12 testify to a marked shift from a more balanced treatment of abstinence and protection in 1988 to a heavier reliance on abstinence in 1999. The last article, "Grades 5-6," shows that sexuality education is much less common at these grade levels than in grades 7-12. Where programs exist, they mainly cover such topics as puberty, HIV/AIDS, sexuality, sexually transmitted diseases, sexual abuse, and abstinence, while the discussion of contraceptive methods is relatively rare. Views presented in these articles will help formulate research and advocacy agendas for 2010.

Effects of a randomized health education intervention on aspects of peproductive health knowledge and reported behaviour among adolescents in Zimbabwe

Unwanted teenage pregnancy and the attendant morbidity and mortality necessitate an understanding of the factors influencing adolescent sexuality and the implementation of programmes designed to improve their knowledge and reproductive behaviour. A randomized controlled study on reproductive health knowledge and behaviour was undertaken among adolescent pupils drawn from a multi-stage random cluster sample. A self-administered questionnaire was used to assess aspects of reproductive health knowledge and behaviour at baseline followed by a health education intervention, except for control schools. Results are based on 1689 responses made up of 1159 intervention and 530 control respondents. There was a significant increase in correct knowledge about aspects of menstruation in intervention as compared with control schools [odds ratio (OR) = 4.5, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 3.4–6.1). Significantly, (OR = 2.0, 95%CI = 1.1–3.9) more pupils from intervention than control schools scored correctly on practice relating to menstruation. Pupils from intervention schools were more likely ( P < 0.001) to know that a boy experiencing wet dreams could make a girl pregnant and that a girl could get pregnant at her first sexual intercourse (OR = 1.4, 95%CI = 1.1–1.9). Knowledge of family planning was low in both groups at baseline but was high at five months follow-up in the intervention schools. The findings point to the need for early school-based reproductive health education programmes, incorperating correct information on reproductive biology and the subsequent prevention of reproductive ill health.