Effectiveness of reproductive health education among rural adolescent girls: a school based intervention study in Udupi Taluk, Karnataka.

BACKGROUND Adolescence is the most important and sensitive period of one's life [1] . According to the World Health Organization (WHO) Expert Committee, adolescence is defined as the period between 10 and 19 years, the second decade of life. OBJECTIVE To determine the effectiveness of an educational intervention program on knowledge of reproductive health among adolescent girls. SETTINGS AND DESIGN This educational intervention study was carried out over a period of one year. A total of 791 rural girls in the age group 16-19 years were randomly selected from coastal villages in Udupi District, Karnataka. MATERIALS AND METHODS Adolescent girls were educated regarding reproductive health and their awareness levels were evaluated immediately following intervention. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS Data was tabulated and analyzed using SPSS version 11.0 for Windows. Findings were described in terms of proportions and percentages. Chi square test was used to test the effect of the intervention. RESULTS A significant increase in overall knowledge after the intervention (from 14.4 to 68%, P < 0.01) was observed regarding contraception. Knowledge regarding ovulation, first sign of pregnancy and fertilization improved by 37.2% (95% CI = (35.2, 39.2), P < 0.001). Knowledge regarding the importance of diet during pregnancy improved from 66 to 95% following the intervention. CONCLUSION This study clearly showed that an educational intervention program can bring about a desirable change in knowledge among adolescent girls regarding reproductive health.