Professional paper
REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH ASSESSMENT OF CROATIAN SCHOOLCHILDREN IN THE 2015-2016 ACADEMIC YEAR
IVA SORTA-BILAJAC TURINA
; Teaching Institute of Public Health of the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, University of Rijeka, School of Medicine, Rijeka, Hrvatska
ĐULIJA MALATESTINIĆ
; Teaching Institute of Public Health of the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, University of Rijeka, School of Medicine and Administrative Department for Health Care of the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, Rijeka, Croatia
Abstract
The aim of the study was to assess the frequency of health service usage, coverage of health education and reproductive health status of schoolchildren in the 2015-2016 academic year by counties according to statistical indicators from annual reports of the Croatian Institute of Public Health and Central Bureau of Statistics. Methods: The following parameters were analyzed: number of elementary and high-school student visits to counseling centers; number of visits to women’s healthcare services by age groups; number of elementary and high-school students enrolled in health education; number of abortions according to permanent residence; and number of legally induced abortions and live births by age groups. On calculation of rates, data on the number of students, number of women of fertile age, number of childbearing women and number of live births were used. The following fi gures were calculated: number of student visits to counseling centers
per 1000 students in total and by reason, by counties; number of visits to women’s healthcare services per 1000 women of fertile age, by age groups, by counties; number of students enrolled in health education per 1000 students, in total and by topic, by counties; number of legally induced abortions per 1000 women of fertile age, by counties; and number of legally induced abortions per one live birth per 100 childbearing women, i.e. per 1000 women of fertile age, by age groups. Results: Elementary school students used counseling services on 19,653 occasions; the lowest rate per 1000 students was recorded in the Virovitica-Podravina County (7,52). Advice on reproductive health was requested 794 times; the highest rate was found in the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County (9.75). High-school students sought counseling services on 10,481 occasions; the lowest rate was recorded in the Brod-Posavina County (1,88). Advice on reproductive health was requested
644 times; the highest rate was found in the Lika-Senj County (14.06). Concerning the women’s healthcare services used by the <16 age group, the highest rate was recorded in the Sisak-Moslavina County (1.88). In the Varaždin County, no girl aged <16 visited a gynecologist. In the 16-19 age group, the highest rate was found in the Virovitica-Podravina County (21.49) and lowest in the Zadar County (0.13). The overall number of elementary school students enrolled in health education was 149,768; the highest rate per 1000 students was recorded in the Primorje-Gorski kotar County (800.12). The overall number of high-school students was 48,426; the highest rate was found in the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County (554.50). The highest rate of legally induced abortions per 1000 women of fertile age was found in the Istria (7.13), Međimurje (5.59), Varaždin (5.67), Primorje-Gorski Kotar (4.56) and Lika-Senj (4.02) Counties. The rate of legally induced abortions per 100 childbearing women in the <19 age group was 16.84, and per 1000 women of fertile age in the <19 age group it was 1.51. Discussion: The culture of proactive thinking about one’s own health was found to be insuffi ciently developed among schoolchildren (uneven number of visits to counseling centers and to women’s health care services), resulting in abortions, sexually transmitted diseases, and neoplasms in the population up to 19 years of age. The need of their empowerment through systematic proactive approaches is emphasized. Current promotion of health education varies considerably among counties and, given the presented indicators and the results obtained, is either insuffi cient or requires change in the methodology. The possible direction for future action may be strengthening of extracurricular activities to improve reproductive health literacy among schoolchildren. Conclusion: The data presented provide the basis for health literacy interventions through synchronous approach by healthcare and education professionals. Sexuality in the 21st century should not be a taboo. Health literacy changes health behavior.
Keywords
reproductive health; students; health education; health literacy; Croatia
Hrčak ID:
199527
URI
Publication date:
20.4.2018.
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