ABSTRACT
Purpose: Several measurement tools have been developed for health literacy. However, little emphasis has been placed on the development of sexual health literacy (SHL) in adolescents. This paper describes the development and validation of an SHL measurement tool for pregnancy prevention among adolescents (SHL-PPA). Methodology: This study explores research and development (R&D) and presents three stages of R&D, including a literature review, the Delphi approach, and a valid and reliable questionnaire. Three groups were used for the population and sampling: 18 experts, five competent people, and 654 adolescents. An online self-assessment tool was used. The data analysis methods used were median, interquartile range, content validity index, Cronbach's alpha coefficient, and exploratory factor analysis. Results: The results show that the definition of SHL for adolescents was "cognitive, social, and cultural skills that determine the motivation and ability of an adolescent to access and sufficiently understand sexual health information and services, which results in them being capable of sexual health assessment and making decisions to prevent pregnancy". The final devised SHL-PPA included 33 items and the three following components: 1) accessibility to sexual health information and services, 2) an understanding of sexual health information and services and appraisal of sexual health to prevent pregnancy, and 3) applying the obtained sexual health information and skills to prevent pregnancy. Conclusion: This study proves that the SHL-PPA is appropriate for Generation Z teenagers, particularly for online self-assessment of SHL. An online self-evaluation using the SHL-PPA demonstrated that related organizations should develop online activities or programs to improve teenage girls' pregnancy-prevention behavior.
ABSTRACT
Background: This study explored the association between sexual health literacy (SHL) and preventive behaviors of pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) among middle-school students during the COVID-19 outbreak to aid in the development of an informative program. Methods: Mixed-method study with stratified two-stage cluster sampling was used to obtain 730 students from 20 middle schools in a rural province of Thailand. Online self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from February 2020 to February 2021. Two brainstorming sessions were conducted with a purposeful sample of 25 stakeholders. Multiple linear regressions were used to assess the relationships. Results: The associated significant factors with the preventive behaviors were sex (b=2.06, 95% CI: 1.07, 3.05), nightlife (b=-2.33, 95% CI: -3.99, -0.67), drinking alcoholic beverages (b=2.24, 95% CI: -3.24, -1.23), sexual intercourse experience (b=-2.64, 95% CI: -4.56, -0.72), and SHL (b=0.12, 95% CI: 0.08, 0.16). The stakeholders recommended an edutainment online program via Facebook. Conclusion: This study investigated factors associated with SHL and preventive behaviors among middle school students. The most effective variable in this model was SHL. Therefore, a trial of an online program emphasizing SHL improvement should be examined for effectiveness among these students and seems appropriate, considering their rural area context and middle-school status.
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PURPOSE: This study aimed to identify the factors associated with depression among workers in industrial factories in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) of Thailand. Additionally, a guidebook was created to evaluate the suitability and appropriateness of the health literacy of the workers to prevent depression. METHODS: This study applied a mixed method from May 2019 to May 2020. Two-stage sampling was used to recruit samples. A total of 416 workers were surveyed using a self-administered questionnaire. Moreover, 20 stakeholders enrolled in two focus group discussions (FGDs) using a semi-structured interview questionnaire to explore situations and develop a guidebook. Descriptive statistical, multivariable logistic regression, and content analysis were applied to analyze the data. Both quantitative and qualitative data were used in the development of the guidebook, which were further tested and evaluated by interviewing the 20 stakeholders. RESULTS: Depression was found in 17.1% of the workers. Job position (adjusted odds ratio [ORadj] = 7.14), hours of online media use (ORadj = 1.87), moody/anxious (ORadj = 5.35), avoiding people (ORadj = 9.12), and self-behavior modification to prevent depression (ORadj = 2.41) were associated with significant depression. The FGDs revealed that stakeholders had blurred perceptions of stress and depression. The sample of industrial factory workers was subjected to workload time constraints but had low level of screening for depression. Online media was used only for working in industries. The guidebook was very interesting and useful for stakeholders and contained definitions and symptoms of depression, self-screening and self-care strategies, consultation and hotline contacts, and health literacy improvement guidelines for factory and health personnel to prevent depression. CONCLUSION: This study confirmed that online media and health literacy were imperative factors to address depression among workers in industrial factories. The guidebook was developed based on health literacy and help prevent depression among workers in industrial settings.
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PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to determine whether there is an associated effect between sociodemographic characteristics and sexual risk behaviors with health literacy in preventing unintended pregnancy among university students in Chon Buri province, Thailand. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study design was used. The data were collected between February and May, 2017. A self-administered questionnaire was developed by the Ministry of Public Health and supported by the evolving concept of health literacy of Nutbeam. This questionnaire was then applied to collect data from 418 university students. Descriptive statistical and binary logistic regression methods were used for data analysis in this study. RESULTS: Half the students exhibited inappropriate behaviors to prevent unintended pregnancies. However, half the respondents had been educated to prevent unintended pregnancies. Nearly one-third of the students had experienced sexual intercourse. Binary logistic regression was used to analyze an association between the behavior for unintended-pregnancy prevention with sociodemographic characteristics and the health literacy of university students. The factors assessed were current residence type (the adjusted odds ratio [aOR]=1.897, 95% CI=1.123-3.205), previous sexual intercourse (aOR=3.263, 95% CI=1.735-6.139), cognitive health to prevent unintended pregnancy (aOR=1.095, 95% CI=1.019-1.176), decision skills in choosing appropriate practices to prevent unintended pregnancy (aOR=1.289, 95% CI=1.182-1.405), and self-management to prevent unintended pregnancy (aOR=1.113, 95% CI=1.005-1.232). CONCLUSION: This study indicated that university students who had experienced sexual intercourse and had low health literacy were more likely to exhibit inappropriate behaviors concerning the lack of prevention of unintended pregnancies. The results will provide health professionals with information to develop more effective prevention and intervention programs.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Youth is a "crisis period", as it is a transitional period between childhood and adulthood. This period incites the youth to have curiosity, especially to sexual contents. As a result, they have higher risk behavior leading to the percentage of newly HIV infected persons among youth in the eastern region that is proportionally higher. This research aimed to study factors related to sexual health behaviors among youth in universities located in the eastern region of Thailand. MATERIAL AND METHOD: This research was a cross-sectional survey research. The data collection process was conducted from June-September 2011. There were 405 informants, who participated in this study. They were students from both government and private universities in the eastern region. The age of the youth was 20-24 years old. The students' field of study varied. The tool of the study was self-answered questionnaires. The quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and presented as frequency, percentage, average score, deviation standard scale, and it was analyzed by Crude odds ratio. RESULTS: It was found that three-fifths of the youth already had sexual experiences, and more than half did not use condoms during their first-time sex. Regarding sexual behavior, it was found that almost one-fourth of the students did not use condoms at any time when they had sex, and did not negotiate for safer safe when they had sex. The statistical significance was (p = 0.012, Crude OR = 1.65). Youth who already had sex had more chances to have unprotected sex than those who never had sex (p = 0.014, Crude OR = 1.64). Youth who had casual sex partner(s) had more chances to have unprotected sex than youth who did not have casual sex partner(s) (p = 0.026, Crude OR = 1.78). Youth who had little knowledge on AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases would have more chances to have unprotected sex than youth who had high level of knowledge on these topics (p = 0.010, Crude OR = 2.83). Youth who had negative attitudes towards safe sex would have more chance to have unprotected sex than youth who had positive attitudes towards safe sex (p = 0.002, Crude OR = 3.65). CONCLUSION: More than half of the informants had sexual experiences. They did not use condoms during their first-time intercourse. The study found that the factors, which had a relationship with sexual behaviors showing statistical significance, were as follows: gender, having sex in the past 3 months, having casual sex partner(s) in the past 3 months, knowledge on AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases, and attitude towards safe sex. This study's recommendation suggests that the educational institutions and parents should contribute to the knowledge and attitudes, and should support the life skills for safe sex behavior
