Association between sources of sexuality education, sexual beliefs and behaviours in Lebanese young adults: a university-based cross-sectional study

Bouclaous, Carmel; Alrazim, A.; Chababi, James; Jamaleddine, Wassim; Nassar, Elma; Maalouf, Anthony; Aridy, Sara Dakour; Naccache, Mahmoud; Abboud, Donna Maria; Assi, Maria; Slika, Maysaa

doi:10.1080/14681811.2020.1722624

Cited by 11 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…However, Lebanese adolescents, girls and boys equally, expressed their wish to receive a complete reproductive health education (95). A study demonstrated that Lebanese adolescents who received school lessons on reproductive health, showed more careful practices during their first sexual experience (96). A 2019 vulnerability assessment of Syrian refugees in Lebanon found that 69% of primary-school age Syrian children were enrolled in schools, whereas only 22% of secondary-school age Syrian children were enrolled.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sexual and reproductive health of Syrian refugee adolescent girls: a qualitative study using focus group discussions in an urban setting in Lebanon

Korri¹,

Heß

Froeschl

et al. 2021

Reprod Health

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Background The war in Syria caused the forced displacement of millions of Syrians to neighboring countries. Lebanon is the host country with the largest overall number of Syrian refugees per capita. Adolescent refugee girls experience a unique level of vulnerability during human emergencies and are at increased risk of suffering from poor sexual and reproductive health (SRH) outcomes. We conducted an exploratory qualitative study to learn about the SRH perceptions and experiences of refugee adolescent girls living in Bourj Hammoud, an urban setting in Lebanon. Methods We employed a qualitative design with eight focus group discussions (FGDs) conducted with 40 Syrian Arab and Syrian Kurdish adolescent girls between January and March 2020. Every FGD consisted of five participants aged 13 to 17 years. A semi-structured guide was used covering multiple themes: menstruation, puberty, SRH awareness, and sexual harassment. FGDs were transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings The participants discussed adolescent girls’ health and named six elements of good health, such as healthy activities and self-protection. The majority of the FGD participants reported a lack of awareness about menstruation when they experienced it for the first time and the social stigma associated with menstruation. When defining puberty, they indicated its social link to a girl’s readiness for marriage and her need to become cautious about sexual harassment. Most FGD participants had very poor knowledge of the female reproductive system. Mothers were the most approached persons to receive information on SRH issues; however, the girls indicated a wish to receive advice from specialists in a comfortable and private atmosphere. All the girls reported that either they themselves, or an acquaintance, had experienced some type of sexual harassment. The girls rarely reported those incidents due to fear of being blamed or subjected to mobility restrictions, or forced to drop out of school. Conclusions The findings show the refugee girls need for satisfactory knowledge on SRH issues and interventions to prevent sexual and gender-based violence that take into consideration the complexity of urban settings.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sexual and reproductive health of Syrian refugee adolescent girls: a qualitative study using focus group discussions in an urban setting in Lebanon

Korri¹,

Heß

Froeschl

et al. 2021

Reprod Health

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“…Moreover, moderate to high levels of HL in Lebanese adolescents was shown to significantly lower their odds of adopting risky health behaviors like smoking, consuming alcohol, adopting a sedentary lifestyle, and being overweight ( 34 ). Similarly, exposure to sexuality education in schools increased the likelihood of Lebanese adolescents adopting protective behavior on their first sexual encounter; this is particularly noteworthy, as schoolteachers were reported to be the main source of information on sexual and reproductive health ( 35 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Moving towards health promoting schools: effectiveness of an educational intervention to improve knowledge, attitude and beliefs regarding heart attack, and CPR knowledge in high school students in Lebanon

Abdelkhalik,

Boutros,

Trad

et al. 2024

Front. Public Health

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BackgroundHealth promoting schools (HPS) prioritize the health of students and community. One important target of HPS is noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), including prevention of heart attacks, due to their burden on healthcare.ObjectiveThis study assesses the effectiveness of an educational intervention to promote knowledge of signs and symptoms, beliefs and attitudes towards heart attack, and promote knowledge of Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).MethodsThe intervention consisted of a 6-minute educational video between a pre-and post-survey. Among other questions, the survey included the Calgary Charter on Health literacy scale, the acute coronary syndrome response index questionnaire, and items assessing knowledge of CPR.ResultsA total of 401 high school students participated (58.9% females). Few students had adequate baseline knowledge of heart attack symptoms (22%) and CPR (7%). The sample showed moderate level of health literacy (12 ± 2.7). Chest pain was the most identified symptom (95%) while abdominal pain was the least identified (14.25%). The intervention significantly increased knowledge, beliefs and attitudes towards heart attack, and knowledge of CPR (p < 0.001). Following the intervention, 83.2% of students demonstrated sufficient knowledge of heart attack symptoms, and 45% exhibited adequate knowledge of CPR. Variables predictive of better attitude, in other words higher confidence in recognizing and reacting to symptoms of heart attack, included having higher health literacy and prior knowledge of risk factors (p < 0.05). Needing help reading medical instructions sometimes predicted worse belief in their capacity to act if they experienced or witnessed a heart attack [score (p < 0.05)]. It was also predictive of worse attitude towards heart attack (OR = 0.18).ConclusionHigh school students in Lebanon lack appropriate knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs toward heart attack, and lack CPR qualifications. Scale up of this educational initiative, along with training of teachers and school personnel, can be used as part of a holistic HPS program aimed at raising awareness of heart attack and first responder preparedness.

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“…Still, young people consider that SE during mandatory school years fails to offer a sex-positive approach or address topics related to sexual consent and pleasure (Mark et al, 2021;Waling et al, 2021;Willis et al, 2019). Hence, people often rely on their peers, family, social media, and other readily available sources to retrieve this knowledge (Bouclaous et al, 2021;Richmond & Peterson, 2020).…”

Section: Do Different Sources Of Sexuality Education Contribute Diffe...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Do Different Sources of Sexuality Education Contribute Differently to Sexual Health and Well-Being Outcomes? Examining Sexuality Education in Spain and Portugal

Rodrigues,

Carvalho,

de Visser

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Sexuality education (SE) is a fundamental right and can be acquired through different sources. In a cross-sectional online study with Spanish and Portuguese participants (N = 595), we examined differences between formal traditional sources (i.e., mandatory SE received in schools), formal modern sources (e.g., SE received in courses), informal traditional sources (e.g., talks with friends and family), and informal modern sources (e.g., pornography and online content) and their contribution to sexual health and well-being outcomes. Results showed that topics related to sexual and reproductive health were among the most addressed. Nearly all participants received SE from informal sources, whereas more than two-thirds received SE from formal traditional sources. Some differences between Spain and Portugal emerged. Results of a linear regression model showed that participants who perceived more influence from formal traditional sources reported using condoms more often, were more focused on disease prevention, and enacted more sexual health communication, but were also less sex-positive. Participants who perceived more influence from both types of informal sources attributed more importance to SE topics but reported having condomless sex more frequently and were more focused on pleasure promotion. Still, participants who perceived more influence from informal traditional sources also endorsed more internal/external consent, were more sexually satisfied, were more sex-positive, and enacted more sexual health practices. Lastly, participants who perceived more influence from informal modern sources were also more likely to have been diagnosed with an STI. Only a small proportion of participants received SE from formal modern sources and had to be excluded from this analysis. Taken together, our findings highlight the need to consider different sources for a more comprehensive and inclusive SE.

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Association between sources of sexuality education, sexual beliefs and behaviours in Lebanese young adults: a university-based cross-sectional study

Cited by 11 publications

References 15 publications

Sexual and reproductive health of Syrian refugee adolescent girls: a qualitative study using focus group discussions in an urban setting in Lebanon

Sexual and reproductive health of Syrian refugee adolescent girls: a qualitative study using focus group discussions in an urban setting in Lebanon

Moving towards health promoting schools: effectiveness of an educational intervention to improve knowledge, attitude and beliefs regarding heart attack, and CPR knowledge in high school students in Lebanon

Do Different Sources of Sexuality Education Contribute Differently to Sexual Health and Well-Being Outcomes? Examining Sexuality Education in Spain and Portugal

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