HEALTH LITERACY ON RISK FACTORS FOR ADOLESCENT PREGNANCY AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL FEMALE STUDENTS IN HEALTH REGION 8

Abstract

            Adolescent pregnancy is a major global public health problem. It has been reported, there are approximately 12 million pregnancies among adolescents worldwide. About 3.9 million pregnant people die due to abortion and unsafe delivery caused by lack of knowledge and appropriate prevention in adolescent pregnancy. This research used cross-sectional descriptive study to investigate the health literacy on risk factor of adolescent pregnancy among secondary school students in health region 8. The sample was 1,377 secondary school female students. The data was collected using a questionnaire that was developed for the measurement of health literacy in Europe: HLS-EU-Q47; HLS-EU-Q16; and HLS-EU-Q86. The data that obtained from the questionnaire was analyzed using descriptive statistics. The quantitative data was presented: frequency distribution, mean, percentage, minimum and maximum values, and standard deviation. The data was collected during May to October, 2021.

            The result was found that the level of health literacy in risk factors of adolescent pregnancy was low (Mean=128.37, S.D.=13.23). Whereas, the level of access to information about risk factors for adolescent pregnancy (Mean=16.68, S.D.=3.81), understanding the risk factors of adolescent pregnancy (Mean=27.18, S.D.=6.60), and the knowledge of risk factors of adolescent pregnancy (Mean=9.07, S.D.=2.46) was middle level. The assessment of risk factors for adolescent pregnancy (Mean=25.95, S.D.=4.80), and the decision to prevent adolescent pregnancy (Mean=15.20, S.D.=4.19) were low levels. In addition, the intention to prevent adolescent pregnancy (Mean=26.36, S.D.=4.58) was middle level. 

            This study was to suggest that the development of risk monitoring or activities to improve the health knowledge of students to prevent adolescent pregnancy, increase the skills for assessing pregnancy risk factors, which may result in suitable behaviors to prevent adolescent pregnancy.