Factors associated with male youth’s utilization of youth clinics –A cross-sectional study in southern Sweden
(2023) MPHN40 20221Social Medicine and Global Health
- Abstract
- Background: Sweden has a long-standing tradition of youth-friendly services focusing on sexual, reproductive and mental health. Currently, they are mainly targeting and being used by girls and young women. Little is known about what motivates and prevents boys and young men from seeking out and utilising health services, including the youth clinics. This study therefore aimed to investigate factors associated with male youth’s utilisation of youth clinics.
Methods: This cross-sectional study used survey data collected in March-April of 2022, including 175 male youths living in Skåne, Sweden. Data analysis was conducted using binary and multivariate logistic regressions, with experience of visiting a youth clinic as the outcome measure. ... (More) - Background: Sweden has a long-standing tradition of youth-friendly services focusing on sexual, reproductive and mental health. Currently, they are mainly targeting and being used by girls and young women. Little is known about what motivates and prevents boys and young men from seeking out and utilising health services, including the youth clinics. This study therefore aimed to investigate factors associated with male youth’s utilisation of youth clinics.
Methods: This cross-sectional study used survey data collected in March-April of 2022, including 175 male youths living in Skåne, Sweden. Data analysis was conducted using binary and multivariate logistic regressions, with experience of visiting a youth clinic as the outcome measure.
Results: Being or having been sexually active were the strongest predictors of youth clinic experience. Only recent sexual activity remained significant when adjusted for other individual characteristics. Talking to others about one's health, valuing access to mental health services, feeling one has access to sexual health services, and age were marginally correlated to the outcome. Apart from these correlations, no clear patterns were revealed. There were little or no associations between youth clinic experience and perceived service needs, perceived access to services, and knowledge of where to access services. When adjusted for each other, some factors encouraging or discouraging the use of health services could significantly predict the experience of visiting a youth clinic (p<0.001). These included; having previously refrained from seeking out health services; ability to talk to others about one’s health; being sexually active; and having relationship experience.
Conclusion: Being sexually active strongly predicts experience of visiting a youth clinic. However, overall few significant associations were revealed. Further research is needed to gain deeper insight into the factors underlying the observed associations, their causal directions, and the lack of associations found. (Less) - Popular Abstract
- Sweden has a long-standing tradition of providing young people with youth-friendly health services through the youth clinics. However, they have so far been mainly targeted towards and utilised by girls and young women, and it has proven difficult to break the trend. One reason for this is that we still know very little about what motivates and prevents boys and young men from seeking out and utilising healthcare services and supports, including those provided by the youth clinics. This study was based on survey data collected in southern Sweden from March to April 2022 and investigated health service needs and health-seeking behaviour related to the experience of visiting a youth clinic among male youths aged 15 to 22.
Results showed... (More) - Sweden has a long-standing tradition of providing young people with youth-friendly health services through the youth clinics. However, they have so far been mainly targeted towards and utilised by girls and young women, and it has proven difficult to break the trend. One reason for this is that we still know very little about what motivates and prevents boys and young men from seeking out and utilising healthcare services and supports, including those provided by the youth clinics. This study was based on survey data collected in southern Sweden from March to April 2022 and investigated health service needs and health-seeking behaviour related to the experience of visiting a youth clinic among male youths aged 15 to 22.
Results showed that being sexually active, especially recently, is a strong predictor of youth clinic experience. A few other factors showed a limited significant association with the outcome. These included not being able to talk to parents, friends or other adults about one's health, not valuing access to mental health services, and not feeling one has access to sexual health services. Age showed a small positive association with the outcome, where the odds of having been to a youth clinic increased with age. Overall no clear patterns were revealed, suggesting little or no associations. When adjusted for each other, some factors encouraging or discouraging the use of health services could predict the experience of visiting a youth clinic significantly. Neither subjective socioeconomic status, religiosity, nor immigration status was able to significantly predict whether participants' had experience of the youth clinics.
As the first study of its kind, this study carries important implications for future research and public health efforts to address and meet young males’ health and support needs. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9113363
- author
- Hedlund, Stella LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- MPHN40 20221
- year
- 2023
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- sexual and reproductive health, mental health, male youth, youth friendly services, health-seeking behaviour, utilization, Sweden
- language
- English
- id
- 9113363
- date added to LUP
- 2023-04-12 10:17:53
- date last changed
- 2023-04-12 10:17:53
@misc{9113363,
abstract = {{Background: Sweden has a long-standing tradition of youth-friendly services focusing on sexual, reproductive and mental health. Currently, they are mainly targeting and being used by girls and young women. Little is known about what motivates and prevents boys and young men from seeking out and utilising health services, including the youth clinics. This study therefore aimed to investigate factors associated with male youth’s utilisation of youth clinics.
Methods: This cross-sectional study used survey data collected in March-April of 2022, including 175 male youths living in Skåne, Sweden. Data analysis was conducted using binary and multivariate logistic regressions, with experience of visiting a youth clinic as the outcome measure.
Results: Being or having been sexually active were the strongest predictors of youth clinic experience. Only recent sexual activity remained significant when adjusted for other individual characteristics. Talking to others about one's health, valuing access to mental health services, feeling one has access to sexual health services, and age were marginally correlated to the outcome. Apart from these correlations, no clear patterns were revealed. There were little or no associations between youth clinic experience and perceived service needs, perceived access to services, and knowledge of where to access services. When adjusted for each other, some factors encouraging or discouraging the use of health services could significantly predict the experience of visiting a youth clinic (p<0.001). These included; having previously refrained from seeking out health services; ability to talk to others about one’s health; being sexually active; and having relationship experience.
Conclusion: Being sexually active strongly predicts experience of visiting a youth clinic. However, overall few significant associations were revealed. Further research is needed to gain deeper insight into the factors underlying the observed associations, their causal directions, and the lack of associations found.}},
author = {{Hedlund, Stella}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Factors associated with male youth’s utilization of youth clinics –A cross-sectional study in southern Sweden}},
year = {{2023}},
}