Socio-cultural Characteristics Research Articles

Life satisfaction levels and socio-economic status of Syrian refuges: A case study of Konya province

2011 yılından itibaren ülkelerinde yaşanan iç savaş nedeniyle Türkiye’ye göç etmek zorunda kalarak sınırdan girdikten sonra ülkemizin değişik illerine dağılan Suriyeli mültecilerin geçen süre içerisinde sosyoekonomik durumlarının ne olduğu, nasıl yaşadıkları, nelerle meşgul oldukları, savaşın bitmesi durumunda ülkelerine geri dönmeyi düşünüp düşünmedikleri vb. durumları merak konusudur.
 Türkiye’ye Hatay, Kilis, Gaziantep ve Şanlıurfa gibi sınır illerinden girerek buralarda belli bir süre yaşadıktan sonra Konya’ya gelen ve burada kendilerine yeni bir hayat kurarak yaşamlarına devam eden Suriyeli mülteciler, zamanla yaşadıkları mahallelerde çoğunluk haline gelmiş, buralarda ülkelerinde ne işlerle iştiğal ediyorlarsa benzer bir yaşamı buralarda da kurarak sosyoekonomik faaliyetlerine devam etmişlerdir. 
 İşgücü piyasasında temininde zorluk yaşanan ara insan gücünün mültecilerce karşılandığı, kalfalık, çıraklık vb. işlerde elaman temininde güçlük yaşanması nedeniyle genellikle Suriyeli mültecilerin tercih edildiği, özellikle Halep ve kırsalından gelen Türkmen mültecilerin son derece başarılı ve tercih edilir olduklarını görüyoruz.
 Bu çalışma ile ondokuz soru çerçevesinde Suriyeli mültecilerin Türkiye’ye ne zaman geldikleri, ne iş yaptıkları, medeni durumları, kaç çocuklarının olduğu, çocuklarının okula gidip gitmedikleri, komşuluk ilişkileri, Türk vatandaşlığı isteyip istemedikleri, çalışma izin belgelerinin olup olmadığı, Suriye’ye dönmeyi isteyip istemedikleri ve çalışma hayatı ile ilgili fikirleri vb. durumlarının incelenmesine çalışılmıştır.
 Mülteci mevzuatı ile bir takım güvencelere sahip olsalarda özellikle sosyokültürel özellikleri nedeniyle ülkemizi tercih ederek hayatlarını burada sürdürmeye çalışan bu insanların yaşadıkları sorunlar ve düşünceleri incelenmeye değer olup, bugün ve yarınlarıyla ilgili bizzat kendi fikirleri son derece önemli ve yol göstericidir.

The Representations of Rural Population of the Region in the Reports of Siberian Governor-Generals in the 2<sup>nd</sup> Half of the 19<sup>th</sup> Century: “Foreigners”

This article aims to identify the representations of “foreign” people (inorodtsev) of Siberia in the reports of the local governors-general, to define the context of their actualization, to find the mutual relations between the official position of the regional authorities towards the socio-cultural characteristics of the indigenous population, its economic situation and legal status, its relations with Russians and the narratives of the “foreigners’ issue” in Russian periodicals. The study is based on the reports of governors-general of Western and Eastern Siberia from the early 1850s until the abolition of the offices of the West Siberian (1882) and East Siberian governors-general (1887), as well as the Irkutsk governor-general in 1887–1899. Analyzing the above-mentioned sources, the authors take into account that such materials were usually complied with some involvement of predecessors, lower-level officials, invited experts. Comparison of the representations of the “foreign” people in the reports of the governors-general with those reflected in the periodicals shows their similarities and differences. The authors of the reports and many publicists share paternalistic discourse concerning the indigenous population of Siberia and consider the “foreign” people as an object of care and protection. Both of them claim the necessity to reduce the yasak payments, highlight the detrimental influence of merchants, as well as exiles, convicted of criminal and administrative offenses. Remarkably, the reports contain no criticism of the authorities for the decline of the aboriginal population and financial difficulties of the “foreigners”; discuss the problem of the “extinction” of aborigines in quite a soft tone. According to these documents, there was a general tendency in government policy to equalize the legal, social and economic status of “foreigners” with the Russian peasantry. However, at the same time, the governors-general who better knew the Siberian realities – at least some of them – more often defended the interests of the region, and hence the Siberian people, including the indigenous population.

Country-level determinants of gender differences in major depression and alcohol use disorder

Abstract Background Major depressive disorder (MDD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD) are leading causes of disease burden in Europe, with MDD disproportionately affecting women and AUD being more prevalent among men. However, it is unclear how country-level political and socio-cultural characteristics contribute to gender differences in these conditions. Methods Data for 30,416 participants from 16 countries were obtained from the 2014 European Social Survey. Depressive symptoms were ascertained using the 8-item CES-D scale, and alcohol use was assessed with items on past-year alcohol use frequency and quantity, as well as frequency of heavy episodic drinking. Country-level data for attitudes to gender equality, needs-adjusted public social expenditure, and other covariates came from the 2012 International Social Survey Programme and the OECD. Modified Poisson and linear regression with log link examined additive and multiplicative interactions of country-level characteristics with gender for MDD, AUD, and their specific symptoms/dimensions. Results Public social expenditure was not associated with gender differences in MDD (CES-D>10), but with greater differences in the prevalence of the loneliness and sadness symptoms; support for gender equality was associated with smaller differences in loneliness (p < 0.05). For AUD, there was evidence of increased alcohol use frequency and quantity among women, and decreased frequency and quantity among men associated with support for gender equality, resulting in lower gender differences in predicted probabilities (from 23% to 5% across exposure levels; p < 0.001). Heavy episodic drinking was strongly positively associated with support for gender equality among women (p < 0.001), but not among men. Conclusions Country-level characteristics appear to exert differential impact on the prevalence of AUD and certain psychological symptoms of MDD among men and women in Europe. Pending replication, future research should examine underlying mechanisms. Key messages

Development of Socio-Cultural Competence in Teaching a Professionally Oriented Language Using ICT

This paper aims to characterize the role of considering socio-cultural characteristics in teaching foreign speakers a professionally oriented language in the framework of teaching them a foreign language. The author pays special attention to the ways and methods of developing the socio-cultural competence of foreign students in teaching them their specialty language, in particular when using modern means of information and communication technologies (ICT). The basis of the author’s reasoning is the principle of the communicative orientation of teaching a foreign language. At the end of the study, the author concluded it is effective to form the relationship between professional and sociocultural competencies for the qualitative teaching of foreign students in the language of their specialty. The particularly an integrated approach contributes to the organic integration of the foreign language into a new cultural environment, and, therefore, prepares it for effective functioning in the conditions of intercultural communication.

Cañón del Río Blanco National Park: A Forgotten Protected Natural Area

Objective: To submit a report about the current situation of the Cañón del Río Blanco National Park and to gather all the existing information about this Protected Natural Area (PNA) in a single document. Design/Methodology/Approach: A bibliographic research and field work were carried out to determine the current state of the PNA. Results: The decree, the geographical location, the history of its protection, the biological, sociocultural and economic characteristics, the environmental services, the CONANP work program, the environmental problems, and the category issues are described. Study Limitations/Implications: There were no limitations. Findings/Conclusions: The area still protects an important biodiversity and fulfills vital environmental services; however, assigning an adequate category to the park and appointing a director is an urgent matter.

Community distribution and utilization of gastropods in the Coastal Area of Liki Island, Sarmi District, Papua, Indonesia

Abstract. Sujarta P, Mailissa MG, Keiluhu HJ, Hadisusanto S, Yuliana S. 2022. Community distribution and utilization of gastropods in the Coastal Area of Liki Island, Sarmi District, Papua, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 23: 5001-5011. Gastropods and snails are mollusk phylum animals with diverse species that inhabit and spread in various marine ecosystems. The main objective of this study was to determine the structure of gastropod communities and their utilization in the coastal area of Liki Island, Sarmi District, Papua, Indonesia. Samples of gastropods were collected through descriptive-quantitative surveys using the line-transects technique. In addition, information on the utilization of gastropods was collected from surveys with semi-structural interviews with selected respondents from Liki Island, the outermost island in East Indonesia, with a total area of 1318.54 ha. The result showed a total of 1812 living specimens from 63 species of gastropods from 23 families, collected from six sampling stations, with 182-603 specimens on average. There were five species of gastropods encountered in all sampling stations, namely Conus litteratus (family of Conidae), Monetaria moneta, Monetaria annulus (Cypraeidae), Oxymeris crenulata (Terebridae), and Polinices flemingianus (Naticidae). The highest Importance Value Index (IVI) belonged to Nerita albicilla (Neritidae) from Station 1 (IVI 58.45). In contrast, the lowest belonged to the species of Nassarius limnaeiformis (Nassariidae), Oliva caerulea, and Oliva oliva (Olividae) from Station 4 (each IVI 2.56), with the moderate value of Shannon-Wiener Diversity Index and low value of Dominance Index. People in the coastal area of Liki Island use 12 species of gastropod as wall ornaments and consume 12 species of gastropod, as well. In general, the people of Liki Island use gastropods wisely based on the socio-cultural characteristics of the local community.

Integrating poverty alleviation and environmental protection efforts: A socio-ecological perspective on menstrual health management

Apt menstrual health management is crucial to the livelihood of low-income, bottom of the pyramid (BOP) women as well as to environmental conservation. However, knowledge is still scant about the factors underpinning women's preferences towards menstrual products, and whether and how the environmental impact of different solutions matter to women's choices. We address this gap by proposing a socio-ecological perspective to understand whether a product's low environmental impact enhances low-income women's uptake of sanitary napkins, thereby supporting poverty alleviation objectives but also efforts geared towards environmental protection. Results from a discrete-choice experiment involving 164 women (n = 1148) in two Indian slums in Delhi and Ahmedabad show that sanitary products' biodegradability is the most important attribute affecting women's preferences towards menstrual hygiene management solutions, which also significantly interacts with women's socio-economic and socio-cultural characteristics. Our findings highlight the potential for business models to find positive synergies between environmental protection and poverty alleviation goals and to situate solutions within the larger socio-ecological context of receiving communities.

Complementary and alternative treatment methods practiced by parents in pediatric cases diagnosed with atopic dermatitis

Introduction Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic, recurrent, and inflammatory skin disease experienced mostly in childhood. Chronicity of the disease, relapses, constant need of regular skin care causes seeking for alternative treatments. Aim The aim of this study is to evaluate the complementary and alternative treatments (CAT) used by parents’ caregivers in pediatric patients diagnosed with AD, and the association between CAT use and patient characteristics. Materials and methods A questionnaire questioning the sociocultural and demographic characteristics of the family, the clinical findings of the patients, their treatments and CAT applications was recorded. Results Eighty-three patients were included in the study. 68.7% of the patients used at least one type of CAT. Vitamins and oils were the most commonly used CAT (48.8% and 47%, respectively) and 73.3% of the patients using CAT continued normal AD treatment while using CAT. The biggest factor affecting CAT choice was the advice of the immediate circle (75%), and 40.6% of the patients stated that they benefited from the complementary therapy. Conclusions CAT are widely used in AD. Physicians should know the socio-cultural structure of the region they are in, the CAT used and their side effects, and inform the families.

Turko-Tatar Population of Tomsk Province at End of 19<sup>th</sup> Century (First General Census of 1897)

The historical-demographic and socio-cultural characteristics of the Tatar population of the Tomsk province at the end of the 19th century are presented. The ethno-demographic and urbanization processes that took place during this period are considered on the basis of the materials of the First General Census of the Russian Empire in 1897. The class, professional structure of the Tatar population of the province is described. Particular attention is paid to the problem of ethnic differentiation of the indigenous Turkic-Tatar population of the region. The scientific novelty of the study is largely determined by the poor knowledge of the issue. The relevance of the study is due to the need for further study of the stages and factors of the formation of this large group of Western Siberia population, denoted by the common ethnonym ‘Tatars’. It is shown that the Turkic-Tatar population of the Tomsk province was characterized by the heterogeneity of its composition. It is noted that the complexity of the ethnic picture in the Tomsk province was determined by the diversity of the indigenous Turkic population. It is emphasized that over 90 thousand people indicated Tatar as their native language, but not all of them subsequently became part of the emerging Tatar community. It was revealed that the Tatars of the Tomsk province, as well as the Tatar community of Western Siberia as a whole, were characterized by a weak involvement in the all-Russian economic processes.

Development of concept and methods for identifying and analyzing sociocultural factors in the context of the digital transformation of the economy

To ensure effective interaction, including cross-border interaction, of business, the state and citizens, knowledge and compliance with only formal, documented rules are often not enough. Significant impact on the success of cooperation, especially cross-border, has the ability of counterparties to take into account the socio-cultural characteristics of the other side. Based on the fact that the digital economy is a system of economic, social and cultural relations based on the use of digital information and communication technologies, formalizing the components of this system and developing mechanisms for their assessment is an urgent task. The aim of our work is to develop a concept and methods for identifying and analyzing sociocultural factors in the context of the digital transformation of the economy. The scientific novelty of the work lies in the integrated use of methods of semantic analysis of texts, case analysis, conceptual modeling, big data analysis and artificial intelligence for a formal description and analysis of the essence of socio-cultural differences that are potentially significant for the implementation of cross-border economic interaction. The practical significance of the results of the work is related to the elimination of existing obstacles and limitations for the creation and development of cross-border businesses related to cultural differences of contractors.

ANALISIS MANFAAT JALAN LINGKAR UTARA KOTA SENTANI TERHADAP PERKEMBANGAN DI WILAYAH SEKITARNYA

The North Ring Road section of Sentani City is also expected to require several important things related to the principles contained in regional development. The existing synergy will improve regional economic conditions as well as several social aspects and other conveniences. With the northern ring road, it is intended to reduce the traffic load in the center of Sentani City. However, it is also hoped that the Sentani North Ring Road will have a follow-up impact on economic development and increase productivity in the surrounding area. With the existence of the North Sentani Ring Road, the development of activities, especially economic activities in the vicinity, is not yet visible, whether this economic activity is related to the social characteristics of the surrounding community that do not support regional development, so it is necessary to analyze the extent of the benefits of the road to the development of the surrounding area. The objectives to be achieved in this study are to analyze the impact of the construction of the northern ring road on infrastructure development in the surrounding area, analyze the extent to which the northern ring road affects changes in socio-economic and socio-cultural characteristics of the surrounding population, analyze the extent to which the northern ring road affects regional development surrounding. From the results of this study it can be concluded that the northern ring road has an impact on infrastructure development in the surrounding area, the socioeconomic characteristics of the population around the northern ring road have increased and socio-cultural characteristics have changed with the existence of the northern ring road of the city of Sentani and the northern ring road affect the development the surrounding area

Differences in Motor Competence of Chilean Schoolchildren According to Biological and Sociocultural Correlates.

(1) Background: In this study, we aimed to determine differences in the levels of motor competence according to biological factors (sex, age and weight status) and sociocultural factors (socioeconomic level and belonging to an indigenous people or not) in students of the La Araucanía Region, Chile. (2) Methods: A total of 552 students in 5th and 6th grade were evaluated (49.6% girls; age M = 11.3; SD = 0.8). To assess motor competence (domains of object control and self-movement), the MOBAK 5-6 test was applied. (3) Results: In the object control dimension, significant differences were found according to sex, with the boys performing higher than the girls. According to age, schoolchildren aged 11.0 to 11.9 performed higher than those aged 10.0 to 10.9, and according to socioeconomic status, schoolchildren from schools with a higher socioeconomic status showed a higher motor performance. No significant interaction effects were found between groups. With regard to the self-movement domain, statistically significant differences were only found according to weight status, where students of normal weight presented the highest performance. No significant effects were found between any of the groups. (4) Conclusions: This study shows the importance of considering the biological and sociocultural characteristics in the development of motor competence when interpreting data or planning interventions in different settings.

Home Environment, Socio-cultural Characteristics, and Nutrition Knowledge of Users of a Soup Kitchen and Food Pantry

The present cross-sectional study examined the home environment, socio-cultural characteristics, and nutrition knowledge of 222 clients of a soup kitchen and food pantry. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire, Multidimensional Home Environment Scale, and Nutrition Knowledge Scale. The food pantry population consisted of more women, Blacks, Hispanics, and older clients than did those from the soup kitchen. Soup kitchen clients also exhibited lower socioeconomic status, and were mostly homeless, as compared to those of the food pantry. Both groups had a low level of nutrition knowledge (55%). Furthermore, most of the food pantry recipients were non-smokers and non-alcohol-drinkers, as compared to about half of the soup kitchen participants, who had lower availability of healthy foods at home and 50.9% of them consumed American foods. Thus, future research is essential to assess the impact of the home environment, socio-cultural influences, and nutrition knowledge on diet quality and food security of food recipients in the U.S.

Assessment of the Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic Stay-at-Home Measures on Potable Water Consumption Patterns, Location, and Financial Impacts for Water Utilities in Colombian Cities

Several studies suggest that social distancing measures due to the COVID-19 pandemic have affected the water sector, specifically regarding its demand and supply. Given the importance of hygiene practices, this effect is heightened by the role that potable water availability has in tackling the spread of the virus. This study aimed to assess the impact of the pandemic on the water consumption patterns and location in four Colombian cities known for their important commercial, industrial, academic, and touristic features. Results exhibit diverse diminishing water consumption trends alongside COVID-19 because of different attributes of the cities (e.g., size, environmental, socioeconomic, and sociocultural characteristics). For instance, the touristic case study has been the most affected because of travel restrictions, with an average commercial demand drop of 32%. In contrast, industrial case studies have had a rapid recovery in water demand, with average industrial drops of 11–14% compared to 20–25% in non-industrial cities. These water demand changes do not affect only the operation of water utilities, but also their finances. Economic losses were estimated at 3.7%, 2.4%, and 6.4% of the expected incomes for the first 14 months of the pandemic for the case studies in this paper. Under a changing environment, understanding these changes and challenges is fundamental for ensuring that water systems are resilient in any unexpected situation.

Benchmarking the research performance of United Arab Emirates with gulf cooperation council countries – A bibliometric study

The research performance of a country is an indicator of its scientific progress and benchmarking it with regional countries is critical to assess a country’s regional competitiveness. This study aims to assess and benchmark the research productivity of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) against other member nations of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), namely with Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain, who have similar macroeconomic and socio-cultural characteristics. Scopus was used as the data source to extract the research output of each of the six countries studied for the period 1995–2019. Bibliometric indicators covering both quantity and impact of research such as publication output, citation, and collaboration indicators were used to assess the research performance of UAE and other GCC countries. The findings indicate good progress in the UAE’s overall research performance during the period of study. Also, UAE’s research performance in most of the bibliometric indicators is comparable or superior to the other GCC countries. This study is the first of its kind and addresses the dearth of bibliometric studies assessing UAE’s research productivity and GCC countries in general. The findings are useful for administrators and policymakers to benchmark the performance of the UAE with other GCC countries, including its impact, growth, and trajectories. For researchers, the study indicators and methods can be replicated to assess the overall research performance of other countries.

Prevalence and Characteristics of Carriage of Neisseria meningitidis Among Young Israeli Adults.

BackgroundNo updated data currently exist regarding Neisseria meningitidis carriage and genomic epidemiology among young Israeli adults.MethodsOropharyngeal swabs were collected from 1801 military recruits on the day of recruitment during 2019. Neisseria meningitidis was detected and identified by culture and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Confirmed isolates were serotyped by qPCR, and encapsulated strains underwent whole-genome sequencing. Risk factors for carriage were determined by analyzing focused questionnaires using uni- and multivariate models. Genomic typing was performed by means of core genome multilocus sequence typing.ResultsCarriage rates overall and of encapsulated strains were 20.1% and 6.7%, respectively. Genogroups B (49.2%) and Y (26.7%) were the most commonly encapsulated strains. Genogroups C, W, and X were scarce, and genogroup A was absent. The most notable clonal complexes (CCs) were CC23 (n = 30), CC32 (n = 16), and CC44/41 (n = 9). Carriage was significantly associated with smoking (odds ratio [OR], 1.82; 95% CI, 1.43–2.33) and boarding school attendance before recruitment (OR, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.14–1.96).ConclusionsThe prevalence of meningococcal carriage among young Israeli adults is high, compared with similar studies in other developed countries. This might be due to sociocultural characteristics including smoking and boarding school attendance during and after high school. The dominant genogroups and CCs found were compatible with those implicated in invasive disease in Israel.

Measuring digital transformation in higher education institutions – content validity instrument

PurposeThis study aims to validate the content of an instrument which identifies the organizational, sociocultural and technological characteristics that foster digital transformation (DT) in higher education institutions (HEIs) through the Delphi method.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology is quantitative, non-experimental, and descriptive in scope. First, expert judges were selected; Second, Aiken'sVcoefficients were obtained. Nine experts were considered for the validation.FindingsThis study’s findings show that the instrument has content validity and there was strong consensus among the judges. The instrument consists of 29 questions; 13 items adjusted and 2 merged.Originality/valueA novel instrument for measuring the DT at HEIs was designed and has content validity, evidenced by Aiken'sVcoefficients of 0.91 with a 0.05 significance, and consensus among judges evidenced by consensus coefficient of 0.81.

Effects of Socio-cultural Attributes on Dominant Tree Species Diversity in Ugenya Sub-County Siaya County, Kenya

The households’ socio-cultural characteristics are vital indicators of land use practices and human development. Attributes, for example, culture, education, and gender affect the tree species’ cover distribution. However, it is little known if they influence the dominant tree species diversity. The effort to alleviate low-level education, gender inequality accelerated by the local cultural beliefs and traditions has proved ineffective. This survey assessed the effect of culture, analysed the effect of education level, and evaluated the effect of gender on tree species diversity. A sample of 384 household heads was interviewed. A descriptive cross-section survey design and systematic random sampling were applied. Data sources were; Focus Group Discussions, key informants, observation, measurement, enumeration, and photography. Shannon Wiener’s diversity index was applied. Data was analysed using R statistics. Culturally non-adhering households t (363) = 2.62, p = .011, registered significant higher mean score (M = 1.49, SD = 0.82) compared to culturally conservative (M = 1.77, SD = 0.87). Households with higher education level registered (M = 2.02, SD = 0.12) which demonstrated lower score, compared to the households characterized by basic level of education (M = 2.43, SD = 0.26) with a significance of t (382) = 1.74, p =.036, There was insignificant mean score in species diversity contrast in the gender categories, t (382) = 0.639 p = .051, despite males (M = 2.40, SD = 0.26) attaining a lower diversity mean score (M = 2.43, SD = 0.12). The local dominant tree species’ diversity is affected by socio-cultural characteristics. Therefore, for the restoration and conservation of the tree species diversity, the socio-cultural functions should be addressed in the Ugenya Sub-County to attain net carbon sink prospects.

Mental health in pre-COVID-19 and during the COVID-19 pandemic: a comparative study using symptom checklist-90-R.

The aim of this study is to search the psychopathological effects of the Coronavirus disease on the patients with psychiatric symptoms on the COVID-19 pandemic process. The study was designed according to the data obtained from 323 patients (171 women and 152 men) who participated in the study pre-COVID-19 period and 423 patients (205 women and 218 men) who participated in the study during COVID-19 period. All participants underwent the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) examination. The SCL-90-R is a psychiatric screening tool that measures the level of reactions elicited by the compulsion or negative stress of individuals. The SCL-90-R was utilized to define psychiatric symptoms and evaluate psychological problems, statistically compared to patient groups with similar demographic and sociocultural characteristics (education level, marital status). There were no statistically significant differences in participants' characteristics for the mean age distribution, marital status, education level, and smoking habits between the groups of pre-COVID-19 and during COVID-19 period (p>0.05). When comparing the scores of the participants' SCL-90-R Psychological Symptom Screening Scale and its sub-dimensions before and during the COVID-19 period, no statistically significant difference was found between the scores of the participants in both groups (p>0.05). 187 patients (52.97%) had the disease, and 166 patients (47.03%) did not have the disease during COVID-19 period. It was observed that there was statistically significant difference for obsessive-compulsive and depression scores of the SCL-90-R scale between the participants who had or had not COVID-19 (p<0.05). It was higher in the first group. There was a statistically significant difference between the depression, anxiety and phobic anxiety scores of the vaccinated compared to the unvaccinated participants (p<0.05). Psychological symptoms general and subscales during the COVID-19 pandemic were similar to pre-pandemic levels according to the SCL-90-R. This is important for planning mental health provisions and for long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Determinants of adolescents’ contraceptive uptake in Ethiopia: a systematic review of literature

IntroductionVarious studies have identified different factors that affect adolescent contraceptive uptake in different parts of Ethiopia. However, varying results were reported across primary studies and those results need to be systematically collated to inform policies. Therefore, this systematic review aimed to synthesize the findings of those primary studies to obtain more robust and representative evidence about adolescent contraceptive uptake in Ethiopia.MethodsFive databases (MEDLINE via PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, Science Direct and CINAHL) were searched for papers published from January 2000 up to June 2021 in English. We limited our search to start on January 2000 as the health of adolescents have been given more attention after this period and to avoid time-lapsed biases. Seven studies were included in this systematic review. We used the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool for quality assessment of the selected studies.ResultsDeterminants of adolescent contraceptive utilization were focused on four levels: individual, socio-cultural, healthcare service and knowledge related factors. Individual-related factors that influence adolescents’ contraceptive uptake include; being in the age group of 10–15 years, not currently enrolled in school and being from low-income families, while socio-cultural factors include: lack of discussion with family members, arranged marriage, pressure from a partner, harmful traditional practices, discussion with peer groups and sexual partners. Healthcare service-related factors include; lack of information about contraceptives during health facility visits, lack of privacy during service provision and inconvenient service hours at health facilities, and not visiting health facilities, whereas, knowledge related factors include; having knowledge of contraceptive methods and being heard about contraceptives from media. Also, the proportion of adolescent contraceptive uptake ranged from 12 to 79%.ConclusionsIn this systematic, individual, socio-cultural, health-care-related, and knowledge-related characteristics have all been identified as influencing adolescents’ contraceptive uptake in Ethiopia. Hence, integrated interventions aimed at overcoming barriers to adolescent contraceptive uptake would be beneficial to improving adolescent contraceptive utilization in Ethiopia.