Reproductive Health Literacy Among Female Adolescents in Banda Aceh: A Descriptive Study

  • Wardiati Yusuf Faculty of Public Health, University of Muhammadiyah Aceh, Aceh, Indonesia
  • Riza Septiani Postgraduate Program in Health Informatics, School of Computing and Information Technology, Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences, University of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia. Faculty of Public Health, University of Muhammadiyah Aceh, Aceh, Indonesia
  • Putri Ariscasari Faculty of Public Health, University of Muhammadiyah Aceh, Aceh, Indonesia
  • Tiara Mairani Faculty of Public Health, University of Muhammadiyah Aceh, Aceh, Indonesia
  • Nopa Arlianti Faculty of Public Health, University of Muhammadiyah Aceh, Aceh, Indonesia
  • Naimah Naimah Faculty of Public Health, University of Muhammadiyah Aceh, Aceh, Indonesia
  • Menawati Menawati Faculty of Public Health, University of Muhammadiyah Aceh, Aceh, Indonesia
  • Mira Gusweni Faculty of Public Health, University of Muhammadiyah Aceh, Aceh, Indonesia
  • Irma Hamisah Faculty of Public Health, University of Muhammadiyah Aceh, Aceh, Indonesia
  • Stefany Fellyciani Ina Aran School of Public Health, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioral Sciences, The University of Queensland, Queensland, Australia
DOI: https://doi.org/10.56338/mppki.v8i9.6575
Keywords: Female Students, School, Reproductive Health, Teenagers

Abstract

Introduction: Reproductive Health Literacy (RHL) has been identified as a key factor in adolescent reproductive health problems because it plays a vital role in promoting overall well-being. However, limited research has been conducted to explore this topic in Indonesia. This study aimed to measure the RHL level of female adolescents in Banda Aceh, Indonesia.

Method: This study employed a descriptive cross-sectional design with 694 respondents from four randomly selected schools. Participants were chosen using a convenience sampling technique based on their willingness to participate. Data was collected through self-reported questionnaires.

Result: The study found that two-thirds of the respondents had adequate RHL level. However, 20.5% had problematic levels of understanding reproductive health information, and 28.1% had an issue applying this information.

Conclusion: While most respondents possessed sufficient RHL, a significant proportion struggled to judge and apply reproductive health information. Therefore, the Health Office of Banda Aceh City should develop health promotion programs to help adolescents improve their ability to assess and make informed decisions related to reproductive health.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

  1. Lee H, Yang Y, Kim S, Vongxay V, Lee Y. Early adolescents’ sexual and reproductive health literacy in Lao PDR. Eur J Public Health. 2022;32(Supplement_3):519–20. doi:10.1093/eurpub/ckac130.039: Available from: https://academic.oup.com/eurpub/article/doi/10.1093/eurpub/ckac130.039/6766644
  2. Kilfoyle KA, Vitko M, O’Conor R, Bailey SC. Health Literacy and Women’s Reproductive Health: A Systematic Review. J Women’s Heal. 2016/08/26. 2016;25(12):1237–55. doi:10.1089/jwh.2016.5810: Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27564780
  3. Vongxay V, Albers F, Thongmixay S, Thongsombath M, Broerse JEW, Sychareun V, et al. Sexual and reproductive health literacy of school adolescents in Lao PDR. Federici S, editor. PLoS One. 2019;14(1):e0209675. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0209675: Available from: https://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0209675
  4. Alzate MM, Dongarwar D, Matas JL, Salihu HM. The Effect of Sexual Literacy on Adolescent Pregnancy in Colombia. J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol. 2020;33(1):72–82. doi:10.1016/j.jpag.2019.09.005: Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpag.2019.09.005
  5. Ndagijimana E, Biracyaza E, Nzayirambaho M. Risky sexual behaviors and their associated factors within high school students from Collège Saint André in Kigali, Rwanda: An institution-based cross-sectional study. Front Reprod Heal. 2023;5(March):1–10. doi:10.3389/frph.2023.1029465: Available from: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frph.2023.1029465/full
  6. Jing Z, Li J, Wang Y, Zhou C. Prevalence and Trends of Sexual Behaviors Among Young Adolescents Aged 12 Years to 15 Years in Low and Middle-Income Countries: Population-Based Study. JMIR Public Heal Surveill. 2023;9(e45236). doi:10.2196/45236: Available from: https://publichealth.jmir.org/2023/1/e45236
  7. Liddon N, Pampati S, Dunville R, Kilmer G, Steiner RJ. Annual STI Testing Among Sexually Active Adolescents. Pediatrics. 2022;149(5). doi:10.1542/peds.2021-051893: Available from: https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/149/5/e2021051893/186749/Annual-STI-Testing-Among-Sexually-Active
  8. World Health Organization. Key facts. 2023. Adolescent Pregnancy.
  9. Bearak J, Popinchalk A, Ganatra B, Moller AB, Tunçalp Ö, Beavin C, et al. Unintended pregnancy and abortion by income, region, and the legal status of abortion: estimates from a comprehensive model for 1990–2019. Lancet Glob Heal. 2020;8(9):e1152–61. doi:10.1016/s2214-109x(20)30315-6: Available from: https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S2214109X20303156
  10. Arifah I, Safari ALD, Fieryanjodi D. Health Literacy and Utilization of Reproductive Health Services Among High School Students. J Promosi Kesehat Indones. 2022;17(2):79–85. doi:10.14710/jpki.17.2.79-85: Available from: https://ejournal.undip.ac.id/index.php/jpki/article/view/41435
  11. Lakhmudien, Soedirham O, Fatah MZ. Reproductive Health Literacy Level of Adolescents in Senior High School in Semarang City. Int J Public Heal Clin Sci. 2019;6(1):75–85. doi:10.32827/ijphcs.6.1.75: Available from: http://publichealthmy.org/ejournal/ojs2/index.php/ijphcs/article/view/818
  12. Nanda Nur Sofyana. The performance of public health sector in Aceh, Indonesia. J Ekon Bisnis JAGADITHA. 2022;9(1):23–9. doi:10.22225/jj.9.1.2022.23-29: Available from: https://ejournal.warmadewa.ac.id/index.php/jagaditha/article/view/4584
  13. Wulanda D, Santoso HR, Septanti D. Aceh Cultural Elements in the Settlement Context. IPTEK J Proc Ser. 2021;(6):275. doi:10.12962/j23546026.y2020i6.11107: Available from: https://iptek.its.ac.id/index.php/jps/article/view/11107
  14. Rasyidin R. The social political role of Muslim scholars (ulamas) in the Acehnese society. J Glob Responsib. 2021;12(1):1–21. doi:10.1108/jgr-10-2018-0040: Available from: https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/JGR-10-2018-0040/full/html
  15. Khairunnisa, Wardiati, Agustina. Adolescent Reproductive Health Literacy and Factors Influencing It (A Cross-Sectional Study on Students of Madrasah Aliyah Negeri 1 Banda Aceh). Media Publ Promosi Kesehat Indones. 2023;6(6):1142–9. doi:10.56338/mppki.v6i6.3398: Available from: https://jurnal.unismuhpalu.ac.id/index.php/MPPKI/article/view/3398
  16. Sørensen K, Van den Broucke S, Fullam J, Doyle G, Pelikan J, Slonska Z, et al. Health literacy and public health: A systematic review and integration of definitions and models. BMC Public Health. 2012;12(1):80. doi:10.1186/1471-2458-12-80: Available from: https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-12-80
  17. Andrade C. The Inconvenient Truth About Convenience and Purposive Samples. Indian J Psychol Med. 2021;43(1):86–8. doi:10.1177/0253717620977000: Available from: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0253717620977000
  18. Ghanbari S, Ramezankhani A, Montazeri A, Mehrabi Y. Health Literacy Measure for Adolescents (HELMA): Development and Psychometric Properties. Brucki S, editor. PLoS One. 2016;11(2):e0149202. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0149202: Available from: https://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0149202
  19. Ma X, Yang Y, Wei Q, Jiang H, Shi H. Development and validation of the reproductive health literacy questionnaire for Chinese unmarried youth. Reprod Health. 2021;18(1):226. doi:10.1186/s12978-021-01278-6: Available from: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12978-021-01278-6
  20. Zepro NB, Ali NT, Tarr N, Medhanyie AA, Paris DH, Probst-Hensch N, et al. Sexual and reproductive health services use among adolescents in pastoralist settings, northeastern Ethiopia. BMC Health Serv Res. 2023;23(1):677. doi:10.1186/s12913-023-09616-z: Available from: https://bmchealthservres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12913-023-09616-z
  21. Mutmainnah M, Nessa R, Bukhari B, Farhana Mohd Radzif N, Kurniawati R. Development of Learning Media for Acehnese Culture Picture Books to Get to Know Local Culture in Early Childhood. Al-Athfal J Pendidik Anak. 2021;7(1):53–72. doi:10.14421/al-athfal.2021.71-05: Available from: http://ejournal.uin-suka.ac.id/tarbiyah/alathfal/article/view/4091
  22. Saptandari P. Pengetahuan Tradisional tentang Kesehatan dan Pemenuhan Hak Kesehatan Reproduksi Perempuan Bawean. Antropol Indones. 2021;41(2). doi:10.7454/ai.v41i2.12990: Available from: http://journal.ui.ac.id/index.php/jai/article/view/12990
  23. Fithriana A, Kusuma RP. ADOLESCENT PEER MENTORING ON REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH IN ACHIEVING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS 3. ICCD. 2021;3(1):540–3. doi:10.33068/iccd.vol3.iss1.418: Available from: https://iccd.asia/ojs/index.php/iccd/article/view/418
  24. Widjanarko B, Indraswari R, Handayani N, Kusumawati A. Critical thinking and decision-making skills regarding reproductive health among pupils in Central Java. Int J Public Heal Sci. 2023;12(2):583. doi:10.11591/ijphs.v12i2.22138: Available from: https://ijphs.iaescore.com/index.php/IJPHS/article/view/22138
  25. Mohd Tohit NF, Haque M. Forbidden Conversations: A Comprehensive Exploration of Taboos in Sexual and Reproductive Health. Cureus. 2024;16(8):e66723. doi:10.7759/cureus.66723: Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/39139803
  26. Flinn C, Koretsidou C, Nearchou F. Accessing Sexual Health Information Online: Content, Reasons and Practical Barriers in Emerging Adults. Youth. 2023;3(1):107–24. doi:10.3390/youth3010007: Available from: https://www.mdpi.com/2673-995X/3/1/7
  27. Ibegbulam IJ, Akpom CC, Enem FN, Onyam DI. Use of the Internet as a source for reproductive health information seeking among adolescent girls in secondary schools in Enugu, Nigeria. Heal Inf Libr J. 2018;35(4):298–308. doi:10.1111/hir.12242: Available from: https://doi.org/10.1186/s41118-019-0071-0
  28. Kistiana S, Fajarningtiyas DN, Lukman S. Differentials in Reproductive Health Knowledge among Adolescents in Indonesia. Media Kesehat Masy Indones. 2023;19(1):19–29. doi:10.30597/mkmi.v19i1.23641: Available from: https://journal.unhas.ac.id/index.php/mkmi/article/view/23641
  29. Maitz E, Maitz K, Sendlhofer G, Wolfsberger C, Mautner S, Kamolz LP, et al. Internet-Based Health Information–Seeking Behavior of Students Aged 12 to 14 Years: Mixed Methods Study. J Med Internet Res. 2020;22(5):e16281. doi:10.2196/16281: Available from: https://www.jmir.org/2020/5/e16281
  30. Diarsvitri W, Utomo ID. Medical perspective of reproductive health education in Indonesian schoolbooks. Front Public Heal. 2022;10(3). doi:10.3389/fpubh.2022.943429: Available from: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.943429/full
  31. Karima UQ, Pristya TYR, Herbawani CK. Information-seeking behavior of reproductive health based on socio-demographic among adolescents in Jakarta, Indonesia. J Educ Health Promot. 2023;12(1):271. doi:10.4103/jehp.jehp_1131_22: Available from: https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/jehp.jehp_1131_22
  32. Wahyuningsih S, Widati S, Praveena SM, Azkiya MW. Unveiling barriers to reproductive health awareness among rural adolescents: a systematic review. Front Reprod Heal. 2024;6. doi:10.3389/frph.2024.1444111: Available from: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frph.2024.1444111/full
  33. Okyere J, Yeboa NK, Nikoi C, Owusu-Amoako M, Ferka L, Nurzhynska A, et al. Adolescent sexual and reproductive health needs and utilisation of health services in the Bono East Region, Ghana. Reprod Health. 2024;21(1):87. doi:10.1186/s12978-024-01822-0: Available from: https://reproductive-health-journal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12978-024-01822-0
  34. Sidamo N, Kerbo A, Gidebo K, Wado YD. Exploring Barriers to Accessing Adolescents Sexual and Reproductive Health Services in South Ethiopia Regional State: A Phenomenological Study Using Levesque’s Framework. Adolesc Health Med Ther. 2024;Volume 15:45–61. doi:10.2147/ahmt.s455517: Available from: https://www.dovepress.com/exploring-barriers-to-accessing-adolescents-sexual-and-reproductive-he-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-AHMT
  35. Rizqi YNK, Nafisah L, Aryani AA. Service Implementation Analysis of Adolescent Reproductive Health toward Adolescents’ Expectations and Needs. J Kesehat Masy. 2022;17(2):269–78. doi:10.15294/kemas.v17i2.26477: Available from: https://journal.unnes.ac.id/nju/index.php/kemas/article/view/26477
  36. Abdurahman C, Oljira L, Hailu S, Mengesha MM. Sexual and reproductive health services utilization and associated factors among adolescents attending secondary schools. Reprod Health. 2022;19(1):161. doi:10.1186/s12978-022-01468-w: Available from: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12978-022-01468-w
  37. Wardiati W, Septiani R, Agustina A, Ariscasari P, Arlianti N, Mairani T. Reproductive Health Literacy of Adolescents at Public Islamic School: A Cross-Sectional Study in Indonesia. Al-Sihah Public Heal Sci J. 2023;12–22. doi:10.24252/al-sihah.v15i1.33133: Available from: https://journal.uin-alauddin.ac.id/index.php/Al-Sihah/article/view/33133
  38. Brown BB, Anistranski JA. Peer Influence in Adolescence. In: The Encyclopedia of Child and Adolescent Development. Wiley; 2020. p. 1–11. doi:10.1002/9781119171492.wecad398: Available from: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/9781119171492.wecad398
  39. Dabiri F, Hajian S, Ebadi A, Zayeri F, Abedini S. Sexual and reproductive health literacy of the youth in Bandar Abbas. AIMS Med Sci. 2019;6(4):318–25. doi:10.3934/medsci.2019.4.318: Available from: http://www.aimspress.com/article/10.3934/medsci.2019.4.318
Published
2025-09-11
How to Cite
Yusuf, W., Septiani, R., Ariscasari, P., Mairani, T., Arlianti, N., Naimah, N., Menawati, M., Mira Gusweni, Irma Hamisah, & Stefany Fellyciani Ina Aran. (2025). Reproductive Health Literacy Among Female Adolescents in Banda Aceh: A Descriptive Study. Media Publikasi Promosi Kesehatan Indonesia (MPPKI), 8(9), 899-909. https://doi.org/10.56338/mppki.v8i9.6575
Issue
Vol. 8 No. 9 (2025)
Section
Article

Copyright (c) 2025 Media Publikasi Promosi Kesehatan Indonesia (MPPKI)

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.