Parent–child communication on sexual and reproductive health in border districts of Eastern Uganda

Parent-child communication concerning sexual and reproductive health (SRH) has significant potential to reduce children’s risky sexual behaviour. Despite these benefits, few parents communicate with their children about SRH issues in Uganda. Using multi-stage stratified sampling in a cross-sectional survey, we estimated the prevalence and investigated the factors that were associated with recent parent-child communication among 600 children (10-17 years) in border districts of Uganda (Busia and Tororo). Results indicated that 61% of children reported to having received parent-child communication on SRH. Communication was more likely to happen among children living in urban areas (OR=4.88; 95% CI=1.79-13.33), boys (OR=1.84; 95% CI=1.13-3.00), those aged 15-19 years (OR=2.59; 95% CI=1.51-4.46) and among children from households that owned a mobile phone (OR=2.11; 95% CI=1.05-4.21) than their counterparts. Parent-child communication was also higher among children who were comfortable discussing SRH issues (OR=27.12; 95% CI=16.02-45.89) and children from Tororo district (OR=2.34; 95% CI=1.36-4.01). The findings provide a rich understanding of the factors associated with Parent-child communication in the border districts of Uganda. These results provide a basis for policy enactment or revision regarding the encouragement of parent-child communication about SRH in Uganda

Child health · Environmental health · Phone · Population · Reproductive health · Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health · Demography · Global Maternal and Child Health · HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions · Medicine · Pediatrics

• “If your mother does not teach you, the world will…”

  Open Access•Patricia Ndugga, Betty Kwagala et al.•BMC Public Health•2023

  Incluir item

• Parent-child communication on sexual and reproductive health

  Open Access•Joséphine Wouango, Thérèse Delvaux et al.•BMC Public Health•2025

  Incluir item

• “They waited for me to cross into puberty, which was too late … .”

  Lillian Ayebale, Allen Kabagenyi et al.•Sex Education•2026

  Incluir item

• Norms of masculinity

  Dorcus Achen, Gily Coene et al.•Culture Health & Sexuality•2025

  Incluir item

• Family Communication About Sex

  Kim S Miller, Beth A Kotchick et al.•Family Planning Perspectives•1998

  Incluir item

• Interventions to Improve Parental Communication About Sex

  Aletha Y Akers, Cynthia L Holland et al.•PEDIATRICS•2011

  Incluir item

• A review of studies of parent-child communication about sexuality and HIV/Aids in sub-Saharan Africa

  Open Access•Sheri Bastien, Lusajo J Kajula et al.•Reproductive Health•2011

  Incluir item

• Parent-child communication about sexual and reproductive health in rural Tanzania

  Open Access•Joyce Wamoyi, Angela Fenwick et al.•Reproductive Health•2010

  Incluir item

• A Review of Interventions With Parents to Promote the Sexual Health of Their Children

  Open Access•Daniel Wight, Deirdre Fullerton•Journal of Adolescent Health•2013

  Incluir item

• Barriers to parent-child communication on sexual and reproductive health issues in East Africa

  Open Access•A Kamangu Abdallah, R John Magata et al.•Journal of African Studies and…•2017

  Incluir item

• Caretaker-adolescent communication on sexual and reproductive health

  Open Access•Saada Ali Seif, Thecla W Kohi et al.•BMC Public Health•2017

  Incluir item

• Exploring issues in caregivers and parent communication of sexual and reproductive health matters with adolescents in Ebonyi state, Nigeria

  Open Access•Chinyere Mbachu, Chinyere Ojiugo Mbachu et al.•BMC Public Health•2020

  Incluir item

• Two-Year Follow-Up of Sexual Behavior Among HIV-Uninfected Household Members of Adults Taking Antiretroviral Therapy in Uganda

  Open Access•Stevens Bechange, Rebecca Bunnell et al.•AIDS and Behavior•2008

  Incluir item

• Factors Associated with Parent–Child Communication About HIV/Aids in the United States and Kenya

  Open Access•Melissa N Poulsen, Kim S Miller et al.•AIDS and Behavior•2009

  Incluir item

• Sexual Behavior of Female Sex Workers and Access to Condoms in Kenya and Uganda on the trans-Africa Highway

  Open Access•Chester N Morris, Sheldon Morris et al.•AIDS and Behavior•2008

  Incluir item

• Effects of a School-Based Intervention on Frequency and Quality of Adolescent-Parent/Caregiver Sexuality Communication

  Open Access•Anne Katahoire, Anne Ruhweza Katahoire et al.•AIDS and Behavior•2018

  Incluir item

• A review of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT)

  Open Access•Sharon T Phillips, Matthew P Mychailyszyn et al.•Children and Youth Services Review•2021

  Incluir item

• The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support

  Gregory D Zimet, Nancy Wray Dahlem et al.•Journal of Personality Assessment•1988

  Incluir item

• Prevalence of and Factors Influencing Parent-Child Communication About HIV/Aids, and Sexual and Reproductive Health Issues in Nigeria

  Open Access•Babatunde Raphael Ojebuyi, Adeniyi Francis Fagbamigbe et al.•SAGE Open•2019

  Incluir item

• UN Census "Households" and Local Interpretations in Africa Since Independence

  Open Access•Sara Randall, Ernestina Coast et al.•SAGE Open•2015

  Incluir item