Theory of planned behavior-based cross-sectional study of family sex education for preschoolers in China: rural-urban comparative analysis.

PURPOSE

The impact of sexual assault or sexual health problems on children and their families due to poor sex education is severe and devastating. Herein, we examined the current status of Preschoolers' Family Sex Education (PFSE) program in Luzhou City, China, and the determinants of parents' practice, focusing on urban-rural differences.

METHODS

Using multistage randomized cluster sampling, 4322 parents were recruited from 24 kindergartens. A web-based, self-administered, anonymous questionnaire was used to measure parents' perceptions, attitudes, and practices regarding PFSE. Binary logistic regression was performed to analyze the determinants of parental implementation of PFSE.

RESULTS

The knowledge pass rate, positive attitude rate, and practice pass rate of PFSE among parents of preschoolers were only 47.15%, 34.42%, and 69.04%, respectively, and the rates in rural areas were significantly lower than those in urban areas. Parents' practices were weakest on physiology education and sexual health education. For the total population, PFSE knowledge, attitudes, sense of responsibility for family education, number of difficulties with sex education, support for PFSE, and age of child significantly influenced parents' PFSE practice pass rates. The determinants of urban parents' PFSE practices were similar to those of the total population, but rural parents' PFSE practices were also significantly influenced by left-behind child status.

CONCLUSION

The PFSE in Luzhou could be improved by increasing parents' attitudes and social communication, especially for those living in rural areas. Effective implementation and practices of PFSE require correcting the attitudes of parents, improving parents' sexual knowledge, and strengthening social communication so as to promote the sexual and reproductive health of children in China, especially those left behind in rural areas.