Cognitive precursors to adolescents' reproductive health: Exploring the role of school-based health services.

Abstract

The goal of this study was to examine associations between the number of school-based health services (SBHS) provided and the cognitive precursors to adolescents' reproductive health, including birth control self-efficacy, motivation to use birth control, attitudes toward birth control, and contraception knowledge. Further, this study examined whether these associations varied by adolescents' age, gender, socioeconomic status (SES), and race/ethnicity. Data were drawn from two waves of Add Health, a longitudinal survey of a nationally representative sample of U.S. adolescents (1994-96). Results from hierarchical linear regression models indicated that the number of SBHS interacted with adolescents' age to predict birth control self-efficacy, such that a greater number of SBHS were associated with greater birth control self-efficacy among 15-year-old adolescents. Findings also indicated that a greater number of SBHS were associated with lower reported birth control motivation. Although access to a greater number of health services in school settings had some effect, study findings suggest that simply increasing the number or range of health services provided may not be the most effective method for supporting diverse adolescents' reproductive health. This information is important for schools as it highlights the need for SBHS to be health outcome specific and can be used to inform initiatives related to adolescents' reproductive health.