A knowledge attitude and practice study with respect to family planning among high school students from Barbados and Jamaica

ABSTRACT

This study compares two groups of high school students, aged twelve to fourteen years, one group from Barbados and one from Jamaica. The study was conducted during February and March by means of a self-administered questionnaire. The findings are based on the analysis of data collected from 153 students from Barbados and 153 students from Jamaica. Both Barbadian and Jamaican high school students knew about family planning, but the percentage of Jamaican students is greater. The school system in Jamaica played a greater role in the dissemination of family planning knowledge than in Barbados. The majority of the students from Barbados and Jamaica agreed with the use of family planning. Sexual activity was greatest among male students from Barbados and Jamaica, but Barbadian students in general reported more sexual activity than Jamaican students. Approximately fifty percent of the sexually active students from Barbados and Jamaica reported using family planing. The study suggests that educational programmes in family life education and family planning in the schools need to be strengthened and targetted to a younger age group than is the present practice. (AU)