Influence of Youth Socio-Demographic Characteristics on their Perceptions of Health Facility Factors in Kisumu, Kakamega and Homabay Counties
Abstract
Worldwide, societal shifts and behavioural patterns exacerbated by unique developmental vulnerabilities create a confluence of factors that place today’s adolescents and youth at heightened risks for poor health outcomes. Youth’s Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) has emerged as an area of key concern globally and a major topic regarding planning and establishing health goals, as noted by the importance brought out by World Health Organization. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of youth socio-demographic characteristics on their perceptions of Health Facility factors in Homabay, Kisumu, and Kakamega Counties. The study utilised a cross-sectional descriptive design to understand the perceptions of youth seeking SRH services on health facility factors in Homabay, Kisumu, and Kakamega Counties. Findings indicate that SRH services received among youth were comparable, where 97% of males and 100% of females who visited health facilities for services received SRH services, respectively. Furthermore, findings show that only the sex variable among the socio-demographic characteristics had no significant difference, while age, education, and marital status all show significant differentials in perceptions among the youth seeking and utilising SRH services. The study also found statistically insignificant perceptions for the cost of service, opening hours convenience, cleanliness at the facility, and privacy in healthcare delivery, as a statistically significant difference was found in feeling comfortable to return any time for service and youth users to recommend health facility to friends, availability of prescribed drugs, knowledge, and skills of health personnel, waiting time, and overall satisfaction in manner youths was treated. This study recommends maximum optimisation of the opportunity presented by the existing healthcare system to provide SRH services to youths with the aim of reducing or eliminating differentials in SRH services access due to socio-demographic characteristics of youths.
Downloads
References
Adan, F. I., & Githae, M. N. (2018). Factors Influencing Access to Reproductive Health Information Services among Young Aged 15-24 in Garissa Municipality, Kenya. International Journal of Contemporary Research and Review, 9(08), 20537-20574.
Ayehu, A., Kassaw, T., & Hailu, G. (2016). Level of young people sexual and reproductive health service utilisation and its associated factors among young people in Awabel District, Northwest Ethiopia. PLoS One, 11(3), e0151613.
de Castro, F., Barrientos-Gutierrez, T., Braverman-Bronstein, A., Santelli, J., Place, J. M., Eternod-Arámburu, M., & Hernández-Avila, M. (2018). Adolescent access to information on contraceptives: a mystery client study in Mexico. Journal of Adolescent Health, 62(3), 265-272.
Gautam, P., Soomro, M. H., Sapkota, S., Gautam, K. R., & Kasaju, A. (2018). Barriers to utilisation of sexual health services among young people in district dang Nepal: A qualitative study. Journal of Medicine, 19(2), 79-83.
Godia, P. M., Olenja, J. M., Hofman, J. J., & Van Den Broek, N. (2014). Young people’s perception of sexual and reproductive health services in Kenya. BMC health services research, 14(1), 172.
Godia, P. M., Olenja, J. M., Lavussa, J. A., Quinney, D., Hofman, J. J., & Van Den Broek, N. (2013). Sexual reproductive health service provision to young people in Kenya; health service providers’ experiences. BMC health services research, 13(1), 476.
Mazur, A., Brindis, C. D., & Decker, M. J. (2018). Assessing youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services: a systematic review. BMC health services research, 18(1), 1-12.
Ministry of Health, Kenya (2014). “Towards attaining the highest standard of health”. Nairobi: Government printer, pp.1 - 80.
Ministry of Health Kenya (2007) National Reproductive Health Policy. Enhancing Reproductive Health Status for all Kenyans.
Mohajan, H. K. (2017). Two criteria for good measurements in research: Validity and reliability. Annals of Spiru Haret University. Economic Series, 17(4), 59-82.
Ninsiima, L. R., Chiumia, I. K., & Ndejjo, R. (2021). Factors influencing access to and utilisation of youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review. Reproductive health, 18(1), 1-17.
Odo, A. N., Samuel, E. S., Nwagu, E. N., Nnamani, P. O., & Atama, C. S. (2018). Sexual and reproductive health services (SRHS) for adolescents in Enugu state, Nigeria: a mixed-methods approach. BMC health services research, 18(1), 92.
United Nations Fund for Population Activities. (2015). Adolescent and youth demographics: A brief overview.
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). (2008). Making Reproductive Rights and Sexual Reproductive Health a reality for All, May 2008
Yamane, Y. (1967). Mathematical Formulae for Sample Size Determination.
World Health Organization (WHO). (2010). Young people and reproductive health, WHO Fact Sheet, 6th May 2010
World Health Organization (WHO). (2011). The sexual and reproductive health of young adolescents in developing countries: Reviewing the evidence, identifying research gaps, and moving the agenda. Report of a WHO technical consultation, Geneva, 4–5 November 2010.
Copyright (c) 2022 Peter N. Muturi, Andrew M. Kahonge, Christopher Kipchumba Chepken
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
