Sult, Samantha (2022-04). The Role of Relationship Status in Sexual and Reproductive Health Services Utilized by Females Aged 21 to 50: A Secondary Analysis of the National Survey of Family Growth. Master's Thesis.
Thesis
Background: Sexual and reproductive health (SRH) - an individual's physical, mental, and social well-being in all matters of human sexuality and the reproductive system - is a vital part of females' overall health. However, influential factors that contribute to SRH, such as relationship status, are often overlooked when evaluating the utilization of SRH services. To provide foundational data on SRH service utilization based on relationship status, this thesis analyzed responses of female participants aged 21 to 50 years categorized as single or married and/or cohabiting of the 2017 to 2019 wave of the Centers for Disease Control's (CDC) department of National Center for Health Statistics' (NCHS) National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG). Results: Responses of 4,832 NSFG female participants were included for analysis. Of the included female participants, 2,218 (45.9%) were single and 2,614 (54.1%) were married and/or cohabiting. A total of 24 questions regarding SRH service utilization were analyzed. Single participants reported higher odds of utilization in nine questions with an average odds ratio of 2.04. Questions with higher odds of SRH service utilization amongst single participants included services related to sexually transmitted diseases or infections (STD/STI), birth control, and abortion. Married and/or cohabiting female participants reported higher odds of utilizing the remaining 13 questions. SRH service topics included in the remaining questions were female sterilization, pregnancy, STD/STI, and breast cancer prevention reported an average odds ratio of 0.5636. Conclusion: Relationship status is a statistically significant factor in determining the odds a participant of the NSFG utilized specified SRH service. Further studies should be conducted to understand the full impact relationship status has on female SRH service utilization to inform providers on providing the best care to patients.
ETD Chair
Wilson, Kelly Professor and Associate Dean for Research
