| dc.description.abstract | Abstract
Health facility factors have been highly associated with the uptake of health servicer not only
among adolescents but also to the general population at large. Nevertheless, because of special
sexual and reproductive needs of the adolescents, these facility characteristics exacerbate it.
Homa-Bay county is ranked high in early child motherhood, it account for 178 per 1000
adolescents’ 15-19 years age specific fertility rate nearly twice the national level of 96 per 1000.
Furthermore, Homa Bay County’s child marriage is at 47.4% this figure is more than twice the
national prevalence of 23%. There is high unmet need for contraceptives prevalence among
adolescent 15-19 years at 62 %; this is three times the national prevalence of 23%.
Consequentially, the County has the highest prevalence of HIV/AIDS, at 26 %; this is four times
higher than the national prevalence of 6%. Given these poor indicators the study hypothesized
that health facility characteristics could be the weaker link. The study endeavored to assess
health facility characteristics influencing the uptake of reproductive health services among
adolescent 15-19 years in Homa Bay County, Kenya. Descriptive study design was used.
Stratified sampling of all the wards in Homa-bay sub-county was conducted. Systematic
sampling was carried out in all the households with eligible participants. A sample size of 325
was determined by use of Fishers formula n = z
2 pq/d2
. A total of 306 (94%) participants were
interviewed. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected. Interviewer led structured
questionnaire was carried out to collect quantitative data. Key informant interview guide was
employed to collect qualitative data. The participants and the key informant gave self reported
data. However, the study did not perceive any limitation since the topic was not very sensitive.
Quantitative data was analyzed using Ms-excel package and Stata V 14. Chi-square and p-value
of ≤0.05 determined significance at 95% confidence interval. The study recorded a strong
association between health facility characteristics and uptake of adolescents reproductive health
services, PV = 0.000, X
2
44.259, C.I. 0.247-3.19. Quantitative data was processed thematically
and reported. Data was presented descriptively in bar, pie charts and graphs. Health facility
characteristics have been found statistically significant in the uptake of sexual and reproductively
health services by adolescents. There is need to encompass health facility characteristics when
designing health promotion policies, programs and strategies of adolescents sexual and
reproductive health. | en_US |
