Abstract:

The objective is this study is to determine the potential risk characteristics among the in-school and out of school adolescents in Kavango region, Namibia.

A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted using mixed methods - quantitative and qualitative approaches among 350 school learners (grade 6 to grade 12) and 150 school drop-out adolescents (aged 12 to 19 years). The stratified random sampling techniques were used in the selections of the circuit and the schools. Structured questionnaires were used in face-to-face interviews, and in depth interviews were conducted among the key informants (teachers).

The following variables include the potential risk characteristics alcohol used, drug used, marijuana used, more than one sexual partner in past 12 months, partner older than 5 years, orphan, abortion, sex regularly, mothers education, contraceptive used, current pregnancy and outcome of birth.

Descriptive statistics was used to summarise the above mentioned variables. Cross-tabulations of demographic, sexual and economic variables were used to describe the relative frequencies.

The associations between different categorical variables were assessed using Chi-square test whilst the identification of different determining factors was analyzed with the epidemiological methods using odds ratios and/or estimated relative risks. The means, standard deviation and 95 % confidence interval were computed. The differences between different variables or factors were considered to be statistically significant for p-values less than 0.05.

Keywords: Adolescence, Adolescents Contraceptives, First intercourse, Sexual health, Sexual partner.

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