Sociodemographic determinants of sexual and reproductive health knowledge and parent–adolescent communication among in-school rural adolescents in Nigeria: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa bear an unequal burden of adverse sexual and reproductive health (SRH) outcomes, driven in part by inadequate SRH knowledge and structural supports. Parents are key potential SRH information sources, yet communication is often limited or inaccurate. We assessed SRH knowledge, parent–adolescent SRH communication among in-school adolescents and their associations with socio-demographic characteristics. Using simple random sampling, we conducted a school-based cross-sectional study among 324 adolescents in Igbo-Ora, Oyo State, Nigeria. Data was collected via a self-administered questionnaire adapted from the WHO’s Asking Young People About Sexual and Reproductive Behaviours and prior research. SRH knowledge was scored and categorized as good (≥ 50%) or poor (< 50%). Data was analyzed with descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests, and Multivariate analyses. Mean age was 14.4 (SD 1.9) years; 55% were female and 53% attended public schools. Good knowledge was highest for HIV (93.2%) and safer sex (77.8%), but > 50% had poor knowledge of contraceptives (56.5%) and non‑HIV STI (63.9%). School type, parental education, and parental occupation were significantly associated with knowledge of non-HIV STIs. Overall, 60.8% reported at least one SRH discussion with parents, but the presence of parental communication was not significantly associated with better SRH knowledge. The findings demonstrated that adolescents showed strong HIV and safer sex knowledge but gaps in contraceptive and non‑HIV STI knowledge, with significant socio-demographic differences. The presence or absence of parent–adolescent SRH communication, did not translate into higher SRH knowledge.