The Factors Influencing Educational Role on Reproductive Health Education Amongst Mothers with Early Adolescent Daughters

Abstract

          Girls growing into teenagers face with various change and development, especially reproductive health. They need to be guided and closely advised by their mothers for preventing reproductive health problems. This descriptive research framework was based on the family nursing theory of Friedman (Friedman, 2003). The purposes of this study were to examine  the factors influencing reproductive health education amongst mothers with early adolescent daughters. The samples consisted of 319 mothers, whose daughters were 10-13 years old, and were studying in grade 4-6 in public elementary school from Ban Peaw district, Samut Sakhon province.The six sets of questionnaires with reliability between 0.75 to 0.83 were used for data collection  during August - September 2008. Data were analyzed by using percentage, mean, standard deviation, Eta Pearson's Product Moment Correlation and Stepwise Multiple Regression Analysis.

          The results showed that the reproductive health education was at a good level, relationship between mother and early adolescent daughter at a moderate level; knowledge of reproductive health at a moderate level; and attitude about  reproductive health at a good level. There were statistically significant positive correlations between reproductive health education and educational background of mothers, parenting style, relationship between mother and early adolescent daughter, knowledge of reproductive health, and attitude about reproductive health. Analysis of the stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that attitude about reproductive health, relationship between mother and daughter, knowledge of reproductive health, non-educational background of mother, the authoritarian parenting style, and higher education could predicted the reproductive health education among mothers with early adolescent daughters with 27.6 percent at statistically significant level of 0.05.

          The researcher suggested that the family especially mothers should lay high attention  on reproductive health education for early adolescent daughters. The school and the community should facilitate some skill training program to enhance mother's ability, so that mothers could play efficiently role on reproductive health education for early adolescent daughters.