Factors that Influence Sexual Reproductive Health Knowledge among Adolescent Girls with Disabilities in Kiambu County
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Date
2023
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
frican Journal of Midwifery and Women's Health
Abstract
Background/Aims Problems related to sexual health can have adverse effects on
the overall health of adolescent girls, including those living with a physical disability.
Improving sexual and reproductive health knowledge among this population can
enable them to make informed decisions in relation to their sexual health. However, the
sociodemographic characteristics that influence knowledge in this population have not
been explored. This study investigated the influence of sociodemographic characteristics
on the sexual and reproductive health knowledge of adolescent girls living with physical
disabilities in Kiambu County, Kenya.
Methods A cross-sectional mixed method study was conducted among
144 purposively selected adolescent girls aged 10–19 years old living with physical
disabilities. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to gather data on participants’
sociodemographic characteristics and their sexual and reproductive health knowledge.
Odds ratios and logistic regression was used to analyse the data.
Results One in five (20.8%) of the participants had already had a sexual experience, and
only 24.3% of participants had good sexual and reproductive health knowledge. The
majority of the participants (54.9%) had low socioeconomic status, which was the only
factor significantly associated with level of knowledge (odds ratio=4.91, P=0.021).
Conclusions Socioeconomic status is a major determinant of sexual and reproductive
health knowledge among adolescent girls living with disabilities. Measures must be
put in place to economically empower the families of these girls, to facilitate improved
knowledge and thus ensure their sexual health and wellbeing.
Implications for practice Education interventions are needed that are tailored to
adolescent girls living with disabilities to promote reproductive health in this population.
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Citation
Kimani, E. W., Nyamari, J., & Nyamu, F. (2024). Factors that influence sexual reproductive health knowledge among adolescent girls with disabilities in Kiambu County. African Journal of Midwifery and Women's Health, 18(3), 1-7.