AN EXPLORATION OF REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH LITERACY AND PREVENTIVE BEHAVIOR AMONG YOUNG ADULTS: A QUALITATIVE CASE STUDY
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31949/ijohm.v6i2.299Keywords:
health literacy, preventive behavior, public health, reproductive health, single-case study, young adults.Abstract
This study explored how reproductive health literacy is developed, evaluated, and translated into preventive behaviour in a young adult, with particular attention to the transition from information seeking to health-service utilisation. This exploratory qualitative case study included one 21-year-old female undergraduate student who participated in a 42-minute semi-structured interview. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis, with accessing, understanding, assessing, and using health information serving as sensitising concepts. Six interrelated themes were developed. The case showed that reproductive health literacy operated through a process in which digital media provided rapid access to information, professional expertise and source verification shaped credibility judgments, and inexpensive, personally controllable information was more readily translated into self-care. However, knowledge did not necessarily lead to utilisation of professional services. Anticipated costs, embarrassment, privacy concerns, and stigma created a boundary between self-directed preventive practices and formal care. Peer networks also functioned as safer communication spaces than family for discussing sensitive reproductive health concerns. The findings suggest that reproductive health literacy should be understood not as a linear progression from knowledge to behaviour, but as a negotiated process shaped by digital environments, social relationships, personal resources, and perceptions of health services. Given the single-case design, the findings are exploratory and intended to inform further research rather than represent young adults generally.
References
Adjie, J. M. S., Kurniawan, A. P., & Surya, R. (2022). Knowledge, attitude, and practice towards reproductive health issue of adolescents in rural area, Indonesia: A cross-sectional study. The Open Public Health Journal, 15, 1–7. https://doi.org/10.2174/18749445-v15-e2206275
Arifah, I., Safari, A. L. D., & Fieryanjodi, D. (2022). Health literacy and utilization of reproductive health services among high school students. Jurnal Promosi Kesehatan Indonesia, 17(2), 79–85. https://doi.org/10.14710/jpki.17.2.79-85
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2021). One size fits all? What counts as quality practice in (reflexive) thematic analysis? Qualitative Research in Psychology, 18(3), 328–352. https://doi.org/10.1080/14780887.2020.1769238
Byrne, D. (2022). A worked example of Braun and Clarke’s approach to reflexive thematic analysis. Quality & Quantity, 56(3), 1391–1412. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-021-01182-y
Campbell, S., Greenwood, M., Prior, S., Shearer, T., Walkem, K., Young, S., Bywaters, D., & Walker, K. (2020). Purposive sampling: Complex or simple? Research case examples. Journal of Research in Nursing, 25(8), 652–661. https://doi.org/10.1177/1744987120927206
Corley, A. G., Sprockett, A., Montagu, D., & Chakraborty, N. M. (2022). Exploring and monitoring privacy, confidentiality, and provider bias in sexual and reproductive health service provision to young people: A narrative review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(11), 6576. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19116576
Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences. (2016). International ethical guidelines for health-related research involving humans (4th ed.). https://doi.org/10.56759/rgxl7405
Fatimah, J. M., Arianto, & Bahfiarti, T. (2021). Media communication and youth reproductive health, North Toraja District. Gaceta Sanitaria, 35(S2), S112–S115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gaceta.2021.07.007
Freeman, J. L., Caldwell, P. H. Y., & Scott, K. M. (2023). How adolescents trust health information on social media: A systematic review. Academic Pediatrics, 23(4), 703–719. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acap.2022.12.011
Karima, U. Q., Pristya, T. Y. R., & Herbawani, C. K. (2023). Information-seeking behavior of reproductive health based on socio-demographic among adolescents in Jakarta, Indonesia. Journal of Education and Health Promotion, 12, 271. https://doi.org/10.4103/jehp.jehp_1131_22
Kementerian Kesehatan Republik Indonesia. (2022). Kesehatan reproduksi remaja: Permasalahan dan upaya pencegahan. https://keslan.kemkes.go.id/view_artikel/29/kesehatan-reproduksi-remaja-permasalahan-dan-upaya-pencegahan
Malterud, K., Siersma, V. D., & Guassora, A. D. (2016). Sample size in qualitative interview studies: Guided by information power. Qualitative Health Research, 26(13), 1753–1760. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732315617444
Nurachmah, E., Yona, S., Ismail, R., Afiyanti, Y., Khariroh, S., Surdana, I. K., Sabariah, S., Faisal, M. H., & Toding, J. (2019). Adolescent-parent communication about sexual and reproductive health among junior high school students in five areas with the highest prevalence of HIV in Indonesia: A qualitative study. Enfermería Clínica, 29, 194–198. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enfcli.2019.04.053
Nowell, L. S., Norris, J. M., White, D. E., & Moules, N. J. (2017). Thematic analysis: Striving to meet the trustworthiness criteria. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 16, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406917733847
Rea, S., Zynda, A., Allison, B., & Tolleson-Rinehart, S. (2022). Adolescent perceptions of technology-based sexual and reproductive health services: A systematic review. Journal of Adolescent Health, 71(5), 533–544. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2022.05.012
Sidamo, N. B., Kerbo, A. A., Gidebo, K. D., & Wado, Y. D. (2023). Socio-ecological analysis of barriers to access and utilization of adolescent sexual and reproductive health services in sub-Saharan Africa: A qualitative systematic review. Open Access Journal of Contraception, 14, 103–118. https://doi.org/10.2147/OAJC.S411924
Violita, F., & Hadi, E. N. (2019). Determinants of adolescent reproductive health service utilization by senior high school students in Makassar, Indonesia. BMC Public Health, 19, 286. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-019-6587-6
Wang, M. L., & Togher, K. (2024). Health misinformation on social media and adolescent health. JAMA Pediatrics, 178(2), 109–110. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2023.5282
Wardiati, W., Septiani, R., Agustina, A., Ariscasari, P., Arlianti, N., & Mairani, T. (2023). Reproductive health literacy of adolescents at public Islamic school: A cross-sectional study in Indonesia. Al-Sihah: The Public Health Science Journal, 15(1), 12–22. https://doi.org/10.24252/al-sihah.v15i1.33133
World Health Organization. (2025). Health literacy. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/health-literacy
World Health Organization. (n.d.). Sexual and reproductive health and rights. https://www.who.int/health-topics/sexual-and-reproductive-health-and-rights
World Medical Association. (2024). WMA Declaration of Helsinki: Ethical principles for medical research involving human participants. https://www.wma.net/policies-post/wma-declaration-of-helsinki/
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Indonesian Journal of Health and Medical
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
