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Background: Adolescence is a critical developmental phase where young people face numerous sexual and reproductive health (SRH) challenges. Comprehensive SRH knowledge is crucial in empowering adolescents to make informed decisions, adopt safe practices, and access SRH services effectively. This research aims to identify the gaps found in these areas by quantitatively assessing the levels of SRH knowledge among adolescents and the factors influencing their knowledge-seeking behaviors.
Objective: To assess the prevalence and associated factors of sexual and reproductive health knowledge and knowledge seeking behavior among adolescents in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Method: This study uses a secondary data from DASH project which was a community-based cross-sectional survey conducted in July 2024, in Addis Ababa. Descriptive analyses were used to calculate frequencies and percentages, and binary logistic regression was used to identify associated risk factors with statistical significance set at p<0.05 using STATA version 14. Multivariable logistic regression was used to control for potential confounders.
Result: A total of 1,384 adolescents participated in the study, of whom 697 (50.4%) were females and 735 (53.1%) were aged 10–14 years, with a mean age of 14.42 years (SD ± 2.70). Overall, 870 (62.86%) were found to be knowledgeable about sexual and reproductive health (SRH) issues, and 1,305 (94.29%) were actively seeking SRH knowledge. The odds of adolescents aged 15–19 being knowledgeable about SRH were 3.27 times higher than those aged 10–14, after adjusting for other variables in the model (AOR = 3.27; 95% CI: 2.10–5.10; p < 0.001). Additionally, the odds of being knowledgeable were 2.07 times higher among adolescents whose fathers had a higher education level compared to those whose fathers had no schooling (AOR = 2.07; 95% CI: 1.20–3.58). The odds of adolescents aged 15–19 actively seeking SRH knowledge were also about 10.98 times higher than their younger counterparts (AOR = 10.98; 95% CI: 1.39–86.75).
Conclusion: The study revealed that about one- third of adolescents lack adequate SRH knowledge. Adolescents between the age of 15-19 years demonstrated significantly higher SRH knowledge and higher odds of seeking SRH related information compared to their younger counterparts. While most adolescents expressed a preference for parents as SRH information sources, only a small fraction had discussed SRH topics with them, highlighting a disconnect between preferred and actual communication practice.
Recommendation: Efforts should prioritize age-appropriate and topic-specific SRH education, especially for younger adolescents, to narrow the knowledge gap. Programs that foster open parent-child communication on SRH issues are essential with a particular focus on empowering fathers as influential figures in adolescents’ heath education.
Key words: SRH, SRH knowledge, SRH knowledge-seeking, adolescent |
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