Knowledge of students in higher education regarding contraception

Date
2010-12
Authors
Kitshoff, Carine
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: South Africa’s Department of Health has stated that knowledge about contraception and reproduction is generally poor, mentioning the substantial uncertainty and misperceptions concerning contraception (Department of Health, 2003:10). Students in higher education institutions are presumed to have a generally higher level of awareness of accessible methods regarding contraception and emergency contraception, but the request rate for the termination of pregnancy among students in higher education remains high (Roberts et al., 2004:441). The researcher identified a need for a study to assess students’ knowledge of contraception and emergency contraception. The goal of this study was to explore the scope of undergraduate students’ knowledge on the matter and to determine to what extent students make use of contraception and emergency contraception. In this study a quantitative approach with an explorative-descriptive research design was applied. The target population of this study included all the full-time undergraduate students at a particular university in South Africa (N=15 872). A non probability, convenience sample was used to select a sample size of 200 undergraduate students at the particular university. Reliability and validity were assured by means of a pilot test conducted over a period of two weeks. The researcher personally collected the data which was gathered by means of self-administered questionnaires. Ethical clearance for this study was obtained from the University Health Research Ethics Committee. As university students were involved this study, consent was also obtained from the university’s Director of Institutional Research. The raw data was entered on a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. A statistician from the University Centre for Statistical Consultation was consulted regarding the analysis of the data by making use of Statistica version 9-software. Quantitative data was presented in histograms and tables, while qualitative data was analysed by means of Tesch’s approach. The overall conclusion was that students at a higher education institution generally had a sound knowledge of contraception, but that their knowledge of emergency contraception was poor. The overall recommendation was that students should be provided with accurate, specific information regarding contraception and emergency contraception, and that this information would need to be user friendly, easily accessible and widely available in order to decrease students’ misperceptions about contraception.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Suid-Afrika se Departement van Gesondheid het die stelling gemaak dat kennis oor kontrasepsie en voortplanting oor die algemeen gebrekkig is en dat daar baie onsekerheid en wanopvattings oor kontrasepsie bestaan (Department of Health, 2003:10). Studente aan hoëronderwysinstellings is veronderstel om ‘n algemene hoër vlak van bewustheid te hê omtrent toeganklike metodes van kontrasepsie en noodkontrasepsie, maar die aantal versoeke vir die terminasie van swangerskappe is steeds hoog onder hoëronderwysstudente (Roberts et al., 2004:441). Die navorser het die behoefte geïdentifiseer aan `n studie om studente se kennis betreffende kontrasepsie en noodkontrasepsie te bepaal. Die doel van die studie was om die omvang van studente se kennis te ondersoek en vas te stel tot watter mate voorgraadse studente van kontrasepsie en noodkontrasepsie gebruik maak. In hierdie studie is ‘n kwantitatiewe benadering met ‘n ondersoekend-beskrywende navorsingsontwerp gevolg. Die teikenpopulasie van die studie het alle voltydse voorgraadse studente aan ‘n Universiteit in die Wes-Kaap (N=15 872) ingesluit. ‘n Niewaarskynlike, gerieflikheidsteekproef is gebruik om ‘n steekproefgrootte van 200 uit die voorgraadse studente van die betrokke universiteit te selekteer. Betroubaarheid en geldigheid is deur ‘n loodsstudie verseker. Die loodsstudie het oor ‘n periode van twee weke plaasgevind. Die navorser het die data wat deur middel van self-geadministreerde vraelyste ingewin is, persoonlik ingesamel. Etiese toestemming vir die studie is van die universiteit se Etiese Komitee vir Gesondheidsnavorsing verkry. Aangesien universiteitstudente by die studie betrokke was, is toestemming ook van die Direkteur van Institusionele Navorsing van die betrokke universiteit bekom. Die rou data is op ‘n Microsoft Excel werkblad ingevoer. ‘n Statistiese ontleder van Stellenbosch Universiteit se Sentrum vir Statistiese Konsultasie is geraadpleeg omtrent die analise van data met behulp van Statistica weergawe 9-sagteware. Kwantitatiewe data is voorgestel deur histogramme en tabelle, en die kwalitatiewe data is geanaliseer deur middel van Tesch se benadering. Die hoofbevindinge was dat studente aan ‘n hoëronderwysinstelling se kennis van kontrasepsie oor die algemeen goed was, maar dat hulle nie voldoende kennis oor noodkontrasepsie gehad het nie. Die hoofaanbeveling was dat studente voorsien moet word van akkurate, spesifieke inligting rakende kontrasepsie en noodkontrasepsie, en dat die inligting verbruikersvriendelik, maklik toeganklik en wyd beskikbaar moet wees om studente se wanopvattings ten opsigte van kontraseptiewe middels te verminder.
Description
Thesis (MCur (Interdisciplinary Health Sciences. Nursing Science))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010.
Keywords
Contraception education, Birth control knowldege -- Higher education, Dissertations -- Nursing, Theses -- Nursing
Citation