PREVALENCE AND DETERMINANTS OF SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH OUTCOMES AMONG SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN IMO STATE

Introduction: Sexual and reproductive health (SRH) outcomes are of paramount concern as they form an integral part of general health affecting individuals and nations. The prevalence and determinants of SRH outcomes are crucial for developing effective strategies to improve Sexual and Reproductive health, well-being and quality of life especially in the adolescent population. Objective: To determine the prevalence and determinants of SRH outcomes amongst senior secondary school students in, Imo State. Methodology: We employed an analytical cross-sectional survey of 510 senior secondary 1– 3 students enrolled in 17 secondary schools within the zones of Owerri, Imo State using a multistage simple random sampling technique. Self-administered, semi-structured questionnaires were administered to the students to obtain data on socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge, attitude, socio-cultural and economic factors. The data were analysed and the Chi-square test was used to test for associations between socio-demographic, sociocultural and economic factors and SRH outcomes. The level of significance was set at p ≤0.05. Results: A total of 269 (53.1%) males and 238 (46.9%) females were studied, with a male: female ratio of 1.13:1. More than half of the students were in private schools (58.2%) with a majority of them coming from a monogamous family (84.2%) and their parents having at least a tertiary level of education (75%). The internet (39.8%), followed by mothers (33.9%) were the major sources of information about sexual and reproductive health. The prevalence of SRH outcomes in the study was relatively low – adolescent pregnancy (9.7%), abortion (4.9%) and STIs (8.7%). Majority (82.4%) of the respondents had a poor level of knowledge and awareness about SRH education and outcomes while majority (67.9%) had a good attitude towards SRH education and outcome. Sociodemographic factors that were associated with the SRH xi outcomes included age, male gender, public school or a mixed and/or boys-only type while age at first intercourse, financial status of parents, having attended any SRH classes, watched someone have sex, used a condom, and use of stimulant drugs were sociocultural and economic factors significantly associated with SRH outcomes in this study. Conclusion: Sexual and Reproductive health education and outcome needs to be prioritized amongst adolescents so as to empower them to make informed decisions about their bodies, lives and future and ultimately improve their overall health and well-being.