Assessment of Concurrent Multiple Health Risk Behaviours among Youth in Yaballo Town, Borana Zone, Oromiya Region
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Date
2012-06
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Addis Abeba Universty
Abstract
Background: Multiple health risk behaviors among adolescents pose a threat to their health, including HIV/AIDS. Health risk behaviors such as Khat, alcohol use, smoking, substance use, and sexual risk behaviors among youth have been shown to co-occur with each others.
Objectives: The aim of this study is to estimate the prevalence of single and concurrent health risk behaviors and to explore how health risk behavior is associated with socio demographic factors and peers’ behaviors among youths in Yaballo town.
Methodology: A comparative cross-sectional study design was employed supplemented with qualitative study .The study subjects were systematically selected. Data were collected from 825 in in-school and out-of-school youths by using self-administered questionnaires.
The data were analyzed using univariate for frequencies, bivariate analysis to see the association between independent and dependent variable and multiple logistic regressions to control confounding variables.
Results: Out of total 65.2% were male and 34.7% female. Overall, out of the study participants 87 % (81.9% ISY, 92% OSY) youths ever had sex with an individual opposite sex. Disaggregated by sex, 66.6% of male had had sex compared to 33.4% of female. In logistic regression older age (AOR=2.82, 95%CI= 1.41, 5.65), school status (AOR=2.764, 95%CI=1.759, 4.345), Khat chewing (AOR=7.625, 95%CI=4.146, 14.022), Watching pornographic films (AOR=2.697, 95%CI=1.751, 4.153) and having sexually active peers (AOR=4.918, 95%CI=2.407, 10.046) were significantly and independently associated with ever having sex .Overall, 40.1% of out-of-of school youths had unprotected sex during the last sexual inter course prior to study compared to 37.1% of in-school youth. Of the 815 subjects, 10.9% reported no risks, 14.1% reported one risks, and 74.8% reported two or more risk behaviors. Among out-of-school youths having no education (AOR=4.445, 95%CI=1.450, 13.620) and grade level of 9-10 (AOR=3.170, 95%CI=1.517, 6.632) were strongly associated with two or more risk behaviors.
Conclusion: majority of youth were engaged in multiple health risk behaviors. The influencing factors are socio-demographic characteristics and peer influence. Interventions should focus to encourage adolescents to complete the compulsory primary education as well as help them to establish friendships and follow peers with good behavior.
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Assessment of Concurrent Multiple Health Risk Behaviours among