Region VII Youth Today: Risk Behavior of Young People in Central Visayas
#Region VII Youth Today:
Risk Behavior of Young People in Central Visayas¹
Dr. Grace T. Cruz
Dr. Maria Midea Kabamalan
Ms. Christian Joy P. Cruz
Demographic Research and Development Foundation
University of the Philippines Population Institute
Background
The region of Central Visayas has a total of 1.3
million youth ages 15-24 in 2010 and this
constitutes 9.6 percent of the total population
of the region. Compared with the other
regions, Central Visayas is the fifth region with
the highest share of the 18M youth
population in the country.
This paper provides a summary of key findings
from the 2013 Young Adult Fertility and
Sexuality (YAFS) study with particular focus on
the various sexual and non-sexual risk
behaviors, teen pregnancy and HIV-AIDS
among the youth living in Region VII.
The YAFS is a series of cross-sectional surveys
on the Filipino youth aged 15-24 conducted
by the Demographic Research and
Development Foundation (DRDF) and the
University of the Philippines Population
Institute (UPPI). The series includes surveys
conducted in 1982, 1994 and 2002. YAFS is
the only survey of young people that is
nationally and regionally representative
covering a wide range of topics of relevance
to this significant segment of the population.
-
YAFS aims to provide updated information on
a broad range of adolescent sexuality and
reproductive health issues its antecedents
and manifestations which can be used in
formulating intervention measures that will
promote and safeguard the health and
welfare of the youth. Largely quoted for its
findings on sexual and non-sexual risk
behaviors and its determinants, the YAFS
series is also
people's educational trajectories, labor force
participation, family relationships and the role
of parents in their lives, attitudes and values,
personal characteristics like self-esteem, and
adverse conditions like suicidal ideation and
depression symptoms. These are relevant to
our understanding of today's young people.
also rich on
on data regarding young
The fourth round of YAFS was conducted in
2013 with funding from the Australian
Government, United Nations Population Fund
(UNFPA), and Department of Health (DOH)
through Philippine Council for Health
Research and Development (PCHRD). The
2013 YAFS or YAFS4 interviewed a total of
19,178 young people in the country
representing all sectors including males and
females, single and married and the Muslim
youth. For Central Visayas, the survey covered
1,037 youth respondents.
1
Paper presented in the YAFS4 Regional Dissemination in Cebu City on September 1, 2014.View entire presentation