Parental support on adolescent contraception uptake - a cross-sectional study in Tamale metropolis Ghana

Background: Globally, adolescent pregnancies pose serious public health issues, especially in low and middle-income nations like Ghana. Parental attitudes towards contraception significantly impact adolescents' access to and use of contraceptive services. This study aims to assess parental support in the uptake of contraception among adolescents within Tamale Metropolis. Methods: A cross-sectional study with a quantitative approach using consecutive sampling was used. This was conducted using parents or guardians of adolescents in the Tamale Metropolis. A total of 424 parents were recruited using a consecutive sampling method. The sample size for the study was determined using the Snedecor and Cochran (1989) formulae using a margin of error of 5%. A 10% non-response rate was also calculated and added to the sample size. The data was collected from December 1, 2023, to February 28th, 2024. The data analysis was done using SPSS version 27 with P<0.05. Results: Many parents (68.2%) had ever patronized contraceptive services and 61.1% would recommend contraceptives to their children aged 16 and above. A majority of the parents (83.9%) agreed that it is imperative for youngsters to have access to contraceptives, and 67.5% expressed comfort in discussing contraceptive methods with their adolescent children. Variables such as educational level (p=0.007), occupation (p=0.001), spouse’s/partner’s education level (p= 0.025), having heard of contraceptive methods (p= 0.001), and having ever utilized family planning services (p= 0.024) were significantly associated with parents' willingness to recommend contraceptives to their children. Conclusion: The study revealed positive attitudes of parents towards contraceptive use among adolescents. The majority of parents expressed willingness to recommend contraceptives to their adolescent children. Therefore, to improve contraceptive use among adolescents, it is important to increase parental education on contraception to maintain their positive attitudes toward contraceptive utilization.