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BMC Public Health
Published in: BMC Public Health 1/2017

Open Access 01-12-2017 | Research article

Examination of youth sexual and reproductive health transitions in Nigeria and Kenya using longitudinal data

Authors: Ilene S. Speizer, David Guilkey, Lisa M. Calhoun, Meghan Corroon, Rick O’Hara

Published in: BMC Public Health | Issue 1/2017

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Abstract

Background

The adolescent (ages 15–19) and young adult (ages 20–24) years are a crucial time as many sexual and reproductive health (SRH) transitions take place in these years. The study of youth SRH transitions in sub-Saharan Africa is limited due to a paucity of longitudinal data needed to examine the timing and circumstances of these transitions.

Methods

This paper uses recently collected longitudinal data from select urban areas in Kenya and Nigeria that include a large youth sample at baseline (2010/2011) and endline (2014). We control for unobserved heterogeneity in our modelling approach to correct for selectivity issues that are often ignored in similar types of analyses.

Results

We demonstrate that the transition patterns (i.e., sexual initiation, first marriage, and first pregnancy/birth) differ within and across the urban areas and countries studied. Urban Kenyan youth have more premarital sex and pregnancy than youth from the Nigerian cities. Further analyses demonstrate that more educated and wealthier youth transition later than their less educated and poorer counterparts.

Conclusions

The findings from this study can be used to inform programs seeking to serve young people based on their varying reproductive health needs in different contexts over the adolescent and young adult years.
Appendix
Available only for authorised users
Footnotes
1
Note that only a small percentage (<1%) of women had inconsistent responses and these women are not shown in the figures presented.
 
2
In the full baseline sample, 17% of the 15 year olds, 26% of the 16 year olds, and 43% of the 17 year olds had already had first sex (contact first author for full set of values).
 
3
There is little difference in first sex experience between the full baseline sample and the sample interviewed at both time points (contact first author for values)
 
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Metadata
Title
Examination of youth sexual and reproductive health transitions in Nigeria and Kenya using longitudinal data
Authors
Ilene S. Speizer
David Guilkey
Lisa M. Calhoun
Meghan Corroon
Rick O’Hara
Publication date
01-12-2017
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Public Health / Issue 1/2017
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2458
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-017-4039-8

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