Effectiveness of digital health intervention on school adolescent and youth sexual and reproductive health in Jimma town, Southwest Ethiopia: a propensity score analysis

Abstract

Abstract Background Investments in youths’ sexual and reproductive health (SRH) has greatest gain as they are in a critical time across the period of transition from childhood to adulthood. This segment of population disproportionately from SRH ill health problems due to lack of adequate knowledge to make informed decisions and exercise their sexual and reproductive rights (SRHR). Objectives To examine effectiveness of digital health interventions on SRH among school adolescent and youth in Jimma Town, Southwest Ethiopia. Methods A quasi-experimental study conducted in Jimma town among school youths. The data were entered into Epidata™ manager v4.6 and analyzed using to STATA™ v 17.0. A propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was conducted to estimate the average treatments (ATE). In addition, two sample tests of proportion, and sensitivity analysis done using difference-in-differences (DID) analysis. Result A significant increase in SRH outcomes between baseline and end-line was found. The knowledge of SRHR increases by 26.8 percentage points (95% CI 14.5, 38.6), knowledge of SRH increases by 11.5 percentage points (95% CI 1.7, 21.4), and attitude towards SRHR increases by 27.4 percentage points (95% CI 17.5, 37.3) because of the digital health intervention among school adolescents and youths. Conclusion The digital health intervention significantly improved knowledge of SRHR, knowledge of SRH, and attitude towards SRHR among school adolescents and youths. Further studies on impacts of digital health interventions on reproductive health outcomes of public health importance such as teenage pregnancies, and unmet need for family planning are recommended.