Volume 18, No. 6, 2021
Effect Of Assistive Technology On Knowledge And Practices Of Hearing- Impaired Adolescents Regarding Reproductive Health
Sayeda Mohamed Ahmed Ahmed Soliman , Mona Sadek Shenouda , Enas Helmy El Shair
Abstract
Background: Adolescents with disabilities have the same reproductive health needs as the abled adolescents. Reproductive health education is essential for adolescents with hearing impairment. Since they communicate using specialized language (i.e., sign language), specialized reproductive health computer application in sign language is a necessity. Aim: To assess the effect of assistive technology on knowledge and practices of hearing-impaired adolescents regarding reproductive health. Design: A quasi-experimental research design was utilized to fulfill the aim of this study. Setting: the study was conducted in Resala Charity Association at El-Maadi district, Cairo Governorate. Sample: A purposive sample of 35 hearing-impaired girl adolescents were included in the study. Tools for Data Collection: Three tools were used: 1- Hearing-impaired adolescent's structured interviewing questionnaire. 2- Hearing-impaired adolescent's reported practices related to reproductive health. 3- Reproductive Health Computer Application. Results: The current study revealed that 37.1% of adolescents aged between 18 and less than 20 years old, 62.9 % of them were enrolled in secondary schools. There was a highly statistically significant difference found between adolescents’ total knowledge scores and total practices scores regarding reproductive health in pre, post, and follow up posttests (p<0.001). Adolescents’ total knowledge scores and total practices scores were increased in the post and follow up posttests compared to pretest scores. Conclusion: Reproductive Health Computer Application has a significant positive effect on improving hearing-impaired adolescents’ level of knowledge and practices related to reproductive health. Recommendations: Designing training programs to hearing-impaired adolescents on reproductive health through using assistive technology and that covers all organizations in different settings in Egypt, also a replication of this study on a larger sample and in different settings for the generalization of the results.
Pages: 1940-1954
Keywords: Knowledge and Practices related to Reproductive health, Assistive technology, Hearing-impaired adolescents.