Abstract
Objective
To assess their reproductive health problems and help seeking behaviour among urban school going adolescents.
Method
A sample of 300 urban school going adolescents between 11–14 years were chosen at random and assessed using four tools namely, self administered questionnaire: provision of adolescent friendly services; medical screening and focus group discussions.
Results
Seventy two percent girls and 56% boys reported health problems during survey with an average of 1.93 complaints per girl and 0.5 complaints per boy. However, only 43% girls and 35% boys reported to the clinic voluntarily to seek help and only one fifth the amount of problems were reported at the clinic in comparison to the quantum of problems reported in survey, which probably reflects a poor health seeking behaviour. A medical checkup with emphasis on assessment of reproductive health and nutritional status helped in detecting almost the same number of reproductive health problems as reported by them in survey. This intervention helped to increase the client attendance in subsequent period of next one year from 43% to 60% among girls and from 35% to 42% among boys.
Conclusion
Our study shows that to increase help seeking behaviour of adolescents, apart from health and life skill education, their medical screening with a focus on reproductive health by trained physicians, parental involvement, supported by adolescent friendly centers (AFC) for counseling, referral and follow up are essential.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
National Population Policy 2000. Department of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India 2000
Patki S, Pandit S.N., Niyogi G.M, Patkar V.D. Amenorhea and genital anomalies in adolescents.Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology of India 1993; 234–240.
Kumar A, Verma A, Mittal S. Gynecological disorders in girls less than 20 years of age.Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology India 1998; 48(1): 61–63.
Bhalchandra G, Soundra S, Rajaram P. Gynaecological problems in adolescents.Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology India 1993; 43: 599–604.
Gandhi A.B., Kakodkar P.C., Raval M.Y. Role of audiovisual in creating awareness.Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology India 1993; 251–261.
John S, Nystrom R, Brindis Cet al. Reproductive Health in School based Health Centers: Findings from the 1998–99 Census of School based Health Centers.Journal of Adolescent Health 2003; 32: 443–451.
A summary of selected DHS data on very young adolescents India 1998/99. www. populationcouncil (online cited Dec 29th 2004)
WHO Technical Report, Physical Status:The Use and Interpretation of Anthropomatry 1995; 854: 445.
Majumdar R, Ganguli S.K. A study of adolescent girls in Pune.Health and Population perspectives and Issues 2000; 23(2): 95–104.
Hegde K, Desai P, Hazra M. Adolescent menstrual patterns.Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology India 1990; 40: 269–274.
Vaidya R. A., Shringi M. S., Bhatt, M. A. Menstrual pattern and growth of schoolgirls in mumbai.Journal of Family Welfare 1998; 44(1): 66–72.
Bhargava S. K., Duggal S, Ramanujacharyulu T. K. T. S., Chaudhary P. Pubertal changes and their interrelationships in Indian girls.Indian Pediatrics 1980; 17: 657–665.
Narasinga Rao BS. Studies on iron deficiency anemia.Indian Journal of Medical Research 1978; 5: 58–69.
Jeejibhoy SJ.Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Behavior—A Review of Evidence from India. 1996; 5: 35 ICRW Working Paper No. 3.
Thavaraj VK, Reddy V. Serum ferritin in healthy school children.Indian Pediatrics 1985; 22: 409–410.
Conner M, Norman P 1996.Predicting Health Behaviour Search and Practice with Social Cognition Models. Open University Press. Buckingham, 1996.
Anderson R, Neuman J. F., Societal and Individual Determinants of Medical Care Utilization in United States. Milbank Memorial Fund Quarterly/Health and Society. 1975; 51: 95–124.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Joshi, B.N., Chauhan, S.L., Donde, U.M. et al. Reproductive health problems and help seeking behavior among adolescents in urban India. Indian J Pediatr 73, 509–513 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02759896
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02759896