Communication between Mother-Adolescent Daughter about Sexual and Reproductive Health: A Cross Sectional Study at Rangpur, Bangladesh
- October 19, 2021
- Posted by: RSIS
- Categories: IJRISS, Mass Communication
International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume V, Issue IX, September 2021 | ISSN 2454–6186
Md. Sarwar Ahmad1; Md. Rahmatullah2 and Dilruba Akter3
1,2 Lecturer, Department of Mass Communication and Journalism, Begum Rokeya University, Ranpur, Bangladesh.
3 Senior Lecturer, Department of Journalism & Media Studies, Port City International University, Chattogram, Bangladesh.
Abstract: The aim of the study was to examine the level of communication between mother-adolescent daughter regarding sexual and reproductive health in Rangpur Division of Bangladesh. A school-based cross-sectional study was conducted among four high school students attending at class 9 and class 10 in Rangpur Division. The researchers utilized Bandura’s (1977) social learning theory as theoretical framework, purposive and random sampling as sampling strategy in the study. Using a standardized and self-administered questionnaire, information was collected. Microsoft (MS) Excel and SPSS v. 25 were used to analyze the collected data. More than one-third of the students (33.80%) had a poor communication status with mother regarding reproductive health issues. Other findings include: 77.78% students had a regular discussion with their mothers, 57.41% mentioned a few contents had been covered in the discussion, and 36.11% students had been experienced with one-sided interaction about this. The subjects of mother-daughter interaction were often limited to issues involving the menstrual cycle. Mothers were the principal source of reproductive health information and the first point of communication after the period. The subjects covered in the communication on mother-to-girl reproductive health were limited to period-related queries but the overall communications status between teens and their moms on the reproductive health problem was high. It is crucial to improve sexual and reproductive health/wellness education programs by integrating them into textbooks and implementing behavioral change communication (BCC) elements.
Keywords: Communication, Sexual Health, Reproductive Health, High School Girls, Rangpur
I. INTRODUCTION
Adolescence is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a period of time between the ages of 10 and 19 (WHO, 2003). There are more than a billion adolescents worldwide, of whom 70% live in developing nations (Ayalew, Mengistie, & Semahegn, 2014). They face a variety of health risks, the majority of which are behavioral in nature and may have serious consequences for their health. Neglecting this population would lead to significant reproductive health hazards. Adolescence is a transitional phase between childhood and adulthood (Dessie, Berhane, & Worku, 2015).
