Reproductive Health Information for Young Women in Kazakhstan: Disparities in Access by Channel

Abstract

This study explores young women's reliance on reproductive and sexual health information channels, examining the relationship between information sources and reproductive health knowledge. Utilizing 1995 and 1999 Kazakhstan Demographic and Health Surveys, we investigate access to reproductive health knowledge among young women (ages 15–24) during a key period in the development of wide-scale reproductive health programs in Kazakhstan. Despite reproductive health campaigns throughout the 1990s, we find consistently high proportions of young women without family planning information access. Among young women with access to information, few received information from channels most strongly linked to knowledge and behavioral changes (family and medical professionals). Mass media sources and peer information networks remained the most often utilized channels. Urban residence, non-Kazakh ethnicity, older age (20–24), and higher education significantly increased the odds of accessing family planning information among young Kazakhstani women, and these same factors were especially important in terms of the relative odds of accessing medical and parental channels. While overall contraceptive knowledge and prevalence rose in Kazakhstan during the 1990s, we find knowledge varied by the information channel accessed. Findings also indicate that young women, regardless of marital status, possessed consistently low levels of reproductive health knowledge at the decade's end.

Notes

¹To test for multicollinearity issues we examined the correlation matrix of all independent variables. Marital status and age group were correlated at .56 in 1995 and .55 in 1999. The variance inflation factor (VIF) was no greater than 1.61 for any of our independent variables in either year. Large values of VIF, usually 10 or greater, indicate a multicollinearity problem.

Source: 1995 and 1999 Kazakhstan Demographic and Health Surveys (Kazakhstan Academy, 2000, Kazakhstan National Institute, 1996).

15–19: 1995 Mean = 1.04; 1999 Mean = 0.95; 1995–1999 χ² (corrected) = 6.95, df 4, p = .1386.

20–24: 1995 Mean = 1.35; 1999 Mean = 1.21; 1995–1999 χ² (corrected) = 10.02, df 4, p = .0401.

Source: 1995 and 1999 Kazakhstan Demographic and Health Surveys (Kazakhstan Academy, 2000; Kazakhstan National Institute, 1996).

15–19, Never Married: 1995–1999 χ² (corrected) = 7.18, df 3, p = .0664.

20–24, Never Married: 1995–1999 χ² (corrected) = 10.86, df 3, p = .0125

15–19, Ever Married: 1995–1999 χ² (corrected) = 7.42, df 3, p = .0597.

20–24, Ever Married: 1995–1999 χ² (corrected) = 12.68, df 3, p = .0054.

Source: 1995 and 1999 Kazakhstan Demographic and Health Surveys (Kazakhstan Academy, 2000; Kazakhstan National Institute, 1996).  ^a Those receiving reproductive health information from media only, peers (with or without media), and family or medical sources are compared with those without information through any of these channels. Results are presented as relative risk ratios with standard errors in parentheses.

∗∗∗ = p < .001, ∗∗ = p < .01, ∗ = p < .05.

Source: 1995 and 1999 Kazakhstan Demographic and Health Surveys (Kazakhstan Academy, 2000; Kazakhstan National Institute, 1996).

^a Ever or planned use of modern contraceptives is limited to sexually active women, 568 in 1995 and 593 in 1999.

^b Variables on AIDS knowledge are available for only 1999.