Why youths stay away from health centres: an assessment of youth health needs and health care services utilization

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To determine the extent to which the primary health care services meet the needs of adolescents in the North-West Health Region, Trinidad. DESIGN and METHODS: A systematic sample of Government and Government assisted elementary, secondary and technical/vocational schools in the North-West was included in the study. Between January and February of 1999, self administered questionnaires were completed by 300 students in the 11 to 19 age-group randomly selected from the schools' sample. RESULTS: Only 23.6 percent of the sample went `most often' to Health Centres `at some time' - 167 (56 percent) - the major source of discomfort was the lengthy waiting period (82.7 percent) while 22 percent felt that the attitude of the deliverers of the service was either poor or very poor. Young people requested that the community health administration provide a range of services that include sport and recreation (50.7 percent), educational programmes (48.6 percent), sex education (36.1 percent), career guidance (34.8 percent), counselling (30.7 percent). They preferred these services to be delivered in a building specially designed for that purpose. CONCLUSIONS: The health services currently being provided do not meet the needs of the youth. Their preference is for a mix of services that would focus on their physical, emotional and social needs. This would require a multisectoral collaboration and the participation of youth in the planning and development of such an initiative. (Au)