ABSTRACT

Teenage pregnancies are one of the social youth problems that the
country faces, with 5.4% or 5,531 crude births among ages 15-19 in
2022. The Peak of Dawn pointed to the height of sexual drive among
adolescents and young adults that may cause a beginning (dawn) of
life as both sexes can produce a product of conception, especially
when a female is fertile. The results from the recent Community
Organizing Participatory Action Research done last November 2022
by the BSN third-year students revealed that some of the participants
refused to answer questions regarding family planning. The study
employed a Parallel Mixed Method approach to assessing the level of
knowledge, attitude, and practice–a KAP-modified questionnaire was
administered to the 138 stratified participants with a Cronbach's alpha
coefficient= 0.884. As well as to explore the perceived benefits,
barriers, interpersonal influences, and self-efficacy among eight
purposely selected participants through semi-structured interviews in
every San Jose’s Purok towards Family Planning. Descriptive and tests
of difference were used to analyze the surveyed data. Thematic
Analysis by Braun and Clarke (2006), supported by MAXQDA
software, was used to analyze the qualitative data. Integration of both
findings provided a comprehensive understanding of the research
topic. The study revealed significant findings among adolescents and
young adults, including a low knowledge, a high attitude, and very low
practice concerning family planning. Notable differences were
observed between participants' KAP scores and their demographic
profiles. Participants expressed a lack of awareness about various
family planning methods and government services, with peers strongly
influencing their perspectives. The researchers recommended
implementing youth-friendly and non-judgmental family planning
services to address these findings to enhance knowledge and
awareness. A health promotion pamphlet was developed and will be
made available at the Barangay Health Center as an information drive
initiative.