Rajesh Kumar1, Shankar Prinja, P V M Lakshmi. 1. Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh City, India. dr.rajeshkumar@gmail.com
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To assess the perceived health problems and help seeking behaviour and utilization pattern of adolescent health clinics. METHODS: A pre-tested, semi-structured questionnaire was administered to 360 school going adolescents who were selected by stratified random sampling from two sectors of Chandigarh where services were being provided by a school-based and dispensary-based adolescent health clinic. RESULTS: Majority (81%) of the adolescents reported having some health problem during last three months prior to the survey; predominant (60%) problems were psychological and behavioural in nature. To resolve these problems boys consulted mainly friends/peers (48%) while girls consulted their mothers (63%). Compared to the dispensary-based adolescent health clinic, utilisation was significantly higher in a school-based clinic where proportion of psychological or behavioural problems reported was also significantly higher (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Adolescents have greater counselling needs for psychosocial problems than for medical problems. School-based adolescent health clinic was utilized more often than the dispensary-based clinic particularly for psychosocial problems.
OBJECTIVES: To assess the perceived health problems and help seeking behaviour and utilization pattern of adolescent health clinics. METHODS: A pre-tested, semi-structured questionnaire was administered to 360 school going adolescents who were selected by stratified random sampling from two sectors of Chandigarh where services were being provided by a school-based and dispensary-based adolescent health clinic. RESULTS: Majority (81%) of the adolescents reported having some health problem during last three months prior to the survey; predominant (60%) problems were psychological and behavioural in nature. To resolve these problems boys consulted mainly friends/peers (48%) while girls consulted their mothers (63%). Compared to the dispensary-based adolescent health clinic, utilisation was significantly higher in a school-based clinic where proportion of psychological or behavioural problems reported was also significantly higher (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Adolescents have greater counselling needs for psychosocial problems than for medical problems. School-based adolescent health clinic was utilized more often than the dispensary-based clinic particularly for psychosocial problems.
Authors: Shoba Srinath; Satish Chandra Girimaji; G Gururaj; Shekhar Seshadri; D K Subbakrishna; Poornima Bhola; Narender Kumar Journal: Indian J Med Res Date: 2005-07 Impact factor: 2.375
Authors: John S Santelli; Robert J Nystrom; Claire Brindis; Linda Juszczak; Jonathan D Klein; Nancy Bearss; David W Kaplan; Margaret Hudson; John Schlitt Journal: J Adolesc Health Date: 2003-06 Impact factor: 5.012
Authors: Proma Paul; Amanda E Tanner; Patti E Gravitt; K Vijayaraghavan; Keerti V Shah; Gregory D Zimet; Catch Study Group Journal: Health Care Women Int Date: 2013-04-23