ArticleBMC public health2020
Parent-child communication about sexual issues in Zambia: a cross sectional study of adolescent girls and their parents.
Article in BMC public health, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 17 papers.
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Who cites it
17 citing papers in PubMed, 39 citations in OpenAlex.
- Research trends in educational interventions for digital sexual media literacy among adolescents: a scoping review (2015-2025).Women's health nursing (Seoul, Korea) · 2026Article
- A comparative analysis of social support, risk behaviors, and HIV health service use among adolescent and young males and females in Lusaka, Zambia.Global epidemiology · 2026Article
- Drivers of child marriage in Eastern and Western provinces in Zambia and effective preventive interventions: Findings from a rapid document review and three stakeholder meetings.Reproductive health · 2026Review
- Adolescents' engagement with comprehensive sexuality education in Zambian schools: implications for strengthening responses to risky sexual behaviours.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Prevalence and factors associated with adolescent pregnancy in Hoima district, Uganda: A community-based cross-sectional study.PLOS global public health · 2026Article
- Effects of female caregiver communication and behavior on sexual behavior of South African adolescent girls and young women post-HIV/STI intervention.Children and youth services review · 2025Article
- A hybrid effectiveness implementation trial testing an HIV and STI prevention program for mother figures and their adolescent girls and young women delivered by peer leaders: ZAIMARA study protocol.BMC public health · 2025Article
- Sexual health of adolescent girls in Tehran: Definition and dimensions.Journal of education and health promotion · 2025Article
- Barriers to PrEP use and adherence among adolescent girls and young women in Eastern, Southern, and Western Africa: a scoping review.BMC women's health · 2024Article
- Creating allies: qualitative exploration of young women's preferences for PrEP methods and parents' role in PrEP uptake and user support in urban and rural Zambia.BMC women's health · 2024Article
- Article
- Determinants of peer education on sexual and reproductive health and rights among in-school adolescents in Ebonyi State, Nigeria.Journal of education and health promotion · 2024Article
- "If your mother does not teach you, the world will…": a qualitative study of parent-adolescent communication on sexual and reproductive health issues in Border districts of eastern Uganda.BMC public health · 2023Article
- Understanding sexual and reproductive health from the perspective of late adolescents in Northern Thailand: a phenomenological study.Reproductive health · 2022Article
- Prevalence of and factors associated with unintended pregnancies among sexually active undergraduates in mainland China.Reproductive health · 2022Article
- Pilot Implementation of a User-Driven, Web-Based Application Designed to Improve Sexual Health Knowledge and Communication Among Young Zambians: Mixed Methods Study.Journal of medical Internet research · 2022Article
- Narratives on Sex and Contraception From Pregnant Adolescent Women in a Northern Province in Thailand: A Phenomenological Study.Inquiry : a journal of medical care organization, provision and financingArticle
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors at 3 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundParent-child communication about sexual issues can reduce risky sexual behaviour amongst adolescents. Risky sexual behaviour is of concern in sub-Saharan Africa where the prevalence of early pregnancy, unsafe abortion and HIV are high. Parent-child communication about sexual issues presents a feasible approach for reducing sexual risk amongst adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa but limited research exists from the region. This study from Zambia examines the sociodemographic and psychosocial factors that are associated with whether parents communicate with their daughters about sexual issues.
methodsData from a cluster randomized controlled trial examining the effect of interventions aiming to reduce teenage pregnancy and school drop out in Zambia was used. The data was collected between January-July in 2018 and consists of structured, face to face interviews with 4343 adolescent girls and 3878 parents. Cross sectional analyses examined the associations between parent-child communication about sexual issues and sociodemographic and psychosocial characteristics using univariate and multivariable logistic regression models.
resultsAdolescent girls who felt connected to their parents and those who perceived their parents to be comfortable in communicating about sex, were more likely to speak to their parents about sexual issues than those who did not (AOR 1.23, 95% CI 1.01-1.52; and AOR 2.94, 95% CI 2.45-3.54, respectively). Girls whose parents used fear-based communication about sexual issues, and those who perceived their parents as being opposed to education about contraception, were less likely to communicate with their parents about sex than those who did not (AOR 0.76, 95% CI 0.65-0.89; and AOR 0.76, 95% CI 0.63-0.91, respectively). Girls enrolled in school were less likely to communicate with their parents about sex than those out of school (AOR 0.56, 95% CI 0.44-0.71).
conclusionParenting style, children's perception of parental attitudes and parental communication styles are associated with whether parents and children communicate about sexual issues. This may imply that parents can improve the chances of communicating with their children about sex by conveying non-judgemental attitudes, using open communication styles with neutral messages and appearing comfortable whilst displaying positive attitudes towards communication around sex and contraceptive use.
trial registrationISRCTN registry: ISRCTN12727868 , (4 March 2016).
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.