Barriers and facilitators influencing parent–adolescent communication on sexual and reproductive health in Indigenous communities in Latin American countries: protocol for a scoping review

Abstract

IntroductionDespite the global efforts to promote adolescent sexual and reproductive health (SRH), many doubts remain on how to ensure universal health access for this population. Many obstacles prevent adolescents from accessing SRH information and services. As a result, adolescents are disproportionally affected by adverse SRH outcomes. Indigenous adolescents are more likely to receive insufficient information and health services due to poverty, discrimination and social exclusion. This situation is compounded by parents’ limited access to information and the possibility of sharing this information with younger generations. The literature shows that parents play a crucial role in informing adolescents about SRH, but the evidence remains scarce for Indigenous adolescents in Latin America. We aim to discuss the barriers and facilitators of parent–adolescent communication on SRH for Indigenous adolescents in Latin American countries.Methods and analysisA scoping review will follow the Arksey and O’Malley’s framework and the Joanna Briggs Institute Manual. We will include articles published between January 2000 and February 2023 in English and Spanish from seven electronic databases and retrieved references from selected articles. Two independent researchers will screen the articles, excluding duplicates, and extract the data based on the inclusion criteria using a data extraction template. The data will be analysed using a thematic analysis approach. Results will be presented following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) extension for Scoping Reviews checklist and using the PRISMA flow chart, tables and a summary of the key findings.Ethics and disseminationNo ethical approval is needed to conduct a scoping review considering the data will be retrieved from previous publicly published studies. The results of the scoping review will be disseminated in a peer-reviewed journal and conferences targeting researchers, programme developers and policymakers that have experience working in the Americas.Trial registration numberhttps://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/PFSDC.