Relationship between Self-esteem, Health Literacy and Adolescents’ Pregnancy Preventive Behaviors of Vocational Institutes in Chiang Rai Province

Abstract

The purpose of this descriptive correlation research between self-esteem, health literacy and adolescents’ pregnancy preventive behaviors of vocational institutes in Chiang Rai province. The population and sample were student aged 15-19 years old in vocational institutes in Chiang Rai province by proportionate stratified random sampling 138 people. Data were collected during November-December 2022. The research instrument used a self-esteem scale and adolescent pregnancy preventive behavior scale. The reliability of Cronbach’s alpha coefficient were 0.89 and 0.88, respectively. For the health literacy scale including knowledge and understanding of health, assess to health information and services, communication to increase expert, management of self condition, media and information literacy and decision making. The reliability were 0.76, 0.89, 0.87, 0.90, 0.89 and 0.87, respectively. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson’s correlation coefficients.

The results showed that self-esteem was significantly associated with adolescents’ pregnancy preventive behaviors (r = 0.194, p < 0.05). The health literacy was not correlated with adolescents’ pregnancy preventive behaviors. However, the knowledge and understanding of health was statistically significant correlation with the adolescents’ pregnancy preventive behaviors (r = 0.188, p < 0.05), and the decision making was significantly associated with the adolescents’ pregnancy preventive behaviors (r = 0.369, p < 0.01). The results suggest that nurses, health personnel and those who involved in the care of adolescents who are studying in a vocational school to promoting self-esteem and health literacy to prevent adolescent pregnancy.