ESTONIAN WOMEN’S HEALTH: sexual and reproductive health, health behavior, attitudes and use of health care services Authors: Kai Part, Made Laanpere, Mati Rahu, Kaja Rahu, Kai Haldre, Helle Karro Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia Tartu University Hospital Women’s Clinic, Tartu, Estonia Contact information: made.laanpere@ut.ee, kai.part@ut.ee General information: The aim of the study was to find out how Estonian women (aged 16–44) describe and assess their sexual and reproductive behaviour, what are their attitudes, what are their plans and factors influencing their plans to have children, and what are their experiences regarding the use of health care services. The questionnaire contains questions on the following topics: - Background information - Intimate relationships and sexuality - Pregnancies and children - Use of pregnancy and delivery related health care services - Contraceptive methods - Plans for having children - Health and use of health care services Methodological information: The cross-sectional survey was carried out in 2004 in Estonia. A stratified random sample of the female population was taken in the age groups 16–25, 26–35 and 36–44 years from national population registry. The total sample size was 5190 women: 3472 Estonian and 1718 Russian questionnaires were posted. For non-respondents of the first mailing, the questionnaire was sent for the second time after 10-12 weeks. The questionnaire was sent back anonymously. Total response rate was 53.8%. The data from 2672 questionnaires has been included to this dataset and was used also to compile the data tables in the survey report (https://sisu.ut.ee/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2004_raport.pdf). Data specific information: The questionnaires in Estonian, Russian and English are provided in the appendices (Appendix 1, 2 and 3 respectively). The data file doesn’t contain answers for all questions (mainly open-ended questions in Estonian have been excluded). The variables in the dataset are named with a letter 'A' and the same number as the question has in the questionnaire with some exceptions (described below). The answers to the questions are coded with the same values/numbers as the numbered answer options in the questionnaire. Number '9' or '99' is used for unknown/missing values. For questions with 'yes' or 'no' answers, the dataset uses the following coding: 1 = no, 2 = yes (regardless of some questions use reverse coding in the questionnaire). The dataset contains the following variables: NO - unique survey number for each respondent BYEAR - year of birth (question 1 in the questionnaire) AGE - age at the year of answering the questionnaire (years) MARIT - marital status (question 2 in the questionnaire) COHAB - how many times have you been married or have been cohabiting (question 3 in the questionnaire) CITIZ - citizenship (1 Estonia, 2 Russia, 3 Ukraine, 4 Belarusian, 5 Latvia, 8 without citizenship, 9 unknown/missing) (question 4 in the questionnaire) TONG - native language (1 Estonian, 2 Russian, 3 Ukrainian, 4 Azerbaijani, 5 Armenian, 6 Kyrgyz, 7 Tatar, 9 unknown/missing) (question 5 in the questionnaire) A6_1, A6_2 etc - how many persons are living with you A7 - how many persons are living together in your home RESID - place of residence (question 7a in the questionnaire) A8 - how many years of education have you had EDUC - the highest level of education (question 9 in the questionnaire) ST - current economic status (question 10 in the questionnaire) A10AGE - age of retirement (question 10 in the questionnaire) A14 - monthly income A15A - household's average monthly income A15B - how many persons live on this income A16 - difficulties paying bills A18A - How many living- and bedrooms does your household use A17 - Items that you have in your household DATE - At what age did you have your first close personal relationship (question 19) A19 - Age of having first close personal relationship A21B1, A21B1AGE, A21B2 etc - have you ever had the following sexual experiences (question 21b) A21C - Have you masturbated during the last month SEX - Whether you have had a sexual intercourse (based on question 20 in the questionnaire) A20 - Age of having first sexual intercourse (years) A21 - How old was the partner of your first sexual intercourse (years) A21A - Which of the following statements best describes your first sexual partner METH - Whether any contraceptive method was used in the first sexual intercourse (based on question 22) A22 - Which contraceptive method did you use in your first sexual intercourse A23 - How many sexual intercourse partners have you ever had A24 - How many sexual intercourse partners have you had during last year A30 - When did you have the latest sexual intercourse A30A - How often have you had sexual intercourse during the last 30 days A30B - How often have you experienced pain or discomfort during or after sexual intercourse in your genitals A30C - How often have you experienced orgasms A30D - Are you satisfied with the frequency of sex A31 - Did you consume alcohol before your last sexual intercourse PART - Having a steady heterosexual sexual relationship (based on question 25) A25 - Do you have a steady heterosexual sexual relationship A27 - How do you feel yourself in your present sexual relationship A27A - During last year have you experienced loss of sexual desire of your partner MARR - are you married or cohabiting (based on question 26) A26 - how long have you been married or cohabiting (years and months) A80 - Do you think that a woman may refuse sexual intercourse, in the following situations A28 - Talking about sexual life and contraception with your current partner is A29 - Have you had parallel sexual relationships during the present marriage or cohabitation? A32 - Sometimes people feel sexual attraction towards the same gender. At the moment your sexual attraction is directed A33 - Have you had sexual experiences (sexual intercourse, oral sex, petting) with someone of the same sex? A34 - Has anyone tried to induce you to have sexual intercourse with them for money or other economic gain A35 - Did your parents discuss sexuality related topics with their children? A36 - Were sexuality related topics discussed at school? A37 - Are you pregnant at the moment? A38 - Are you breast feeding at the moment? A39 - How old is the child you are breastfeeding? (months) PREG - Have you been pregnant (based on question 40) A40 - How many times have you been pregnant A41_1, A41_1TXT, A41_2 etc - How did these pregnancies end BIRTH - have you given birth (based on question 42) CHILD - number of children (based on question 43) A49 - How long did you breastfeed your last child A49TIME - Number of months how long did you breastfeed your last child A50 - Who looked/ looks after your last pre-school aged child, when you were/ are working? A51 - In case you have employed a nanny, how did you find him/her? A52 - Who looked after you when you were of pre-school age? A52A - If you were pregnant now and would like to continue the pregnancy, which health care institution would you contact first? A52B - If you were pregnant now, and would not like to continue the pregnancy, which health care institution would you contact first? A53 - Which health care services did you use in connection with your last/ present pregnancy? AB - Have you had an abortion? (based on question 57a) METHAB - Did you use any method? (based on question 57a) A57A - What contraceptive method were you using when you became pregnant and consequently decided for abortion? A58 - Where was this abortion done? A59 - Did you pay for the abortion? A59A - Satisfaction with the amount of information you received from the doctor/nurse before the abortion A60A - Did you receive counselling about contraception before or after the abortion? A61 - Were you satisfied with the way you were treated in the hospital or clinic during the abortion? A62 - What were the most important reasons in your decision to have an abortion? A63 - Did you discuss the abortion beforehand with your partner? VISITAB - Did you go for a follow-up visit? (based on question 63a) A63A - Where did you go for a follow-up visit during one month after the abortion? A64 - Have you ever had difficulties in getting pregnant and having a child, although you were having regular sexual intercourse during one year? INFER - Have you been investigated or treated for possible infertility? (based on question 65) A65 - The year when have you been investigated or treated for possible infertility A65A - What treatments have you received for infertility? A66 - If you haven't sought medical help for your infertility or you have discontinued investigations, what is the reason for this? A66A - Have you been satisfied with the information you received during infertility investigations and treatment? A66B - If you became preganant now, what would be your most probable decision? A67 - At what age did you have your first menstruation? A68 - Have you had the following sexually transmitted diseases? METHLAST - Whether any method was used during the last sexual intercourse (based on question 70) A70NO - Which contraceptive method did you use during your last sexual intercourse? (Contains answers for the first 2 response options, based on question 70) A70 - Which contraceptive method did you use during your last sexual intercourse? (Contains answers for the last 13 response options) A71 - Who decided what contraceptive method to use during your last sexual intercourse? A72 - If you did not use a contraceptive method during your last sexual intercourse, what was the reason? A72A - If you did not use contraceptive method during your last sexual intercourse, where there any additional reasons? A73 - If you use or have used condoms, then why? A74 - Have you ever used contraceptive pills? A74A - If you have formerly used pills, but stopped, then why? METHNOW - Whether a contraceptive method was used during the last sexual intercourse (based on question 72) A76 - Are you satisfied with your current contraceptive method? PRICE - Whether the costs have been affected your decisions of using contraception (based on question 77) A77 - Have the costs affected your decisions of using contraception during the last year? VISIT - Have you been visited a health care institution for contraceptive care, advice or prescription? (based on question 78) A78 - When did you last visit a health care institution for contraceptive care, advice or prescription? A78A - Which health care institution did you last visit in order to receive contraceptive counselling, care or prescription? A79 - Evaluate how well the following aspects of care were carried out during your last visit for contraception? PROBL - Whether there has been any problems in visiting a doctor for contraception during the last year (based on question 79a) A79A - Have some of the following impeded you in visiting a doctor for contraception during the last year? A103A - Where would you prefer to go for a contraceptive visit? A103B - Where would you prefer to go for a contraceptive visit? A103C - Where would you prefer to go for a contraceptive visit? A103D - Where would you prefer to go for a contraceptive visit? A75 - Had you heard about morning-after pills (Postinor) before completing this questionnaire? A75A - Have you ever used morning-after pills? A75NO - How many times have you used morning-after pills? (based on question 75a) A81 - Should men's role/involvement be changed in regard to the following? A82_1 - What is the ideal number of children in a family nowadays? A82_2 - How long is the ideal spacing between children? A82_3A - What is the ideal age for having a first baby for a woman? A82_3B - What is the ideal age for having a first baby for a man? A83 - How many children would you yourself like to have? A84 - If you do not have a child, then why haven’t you had one? A85 - If you choosed more than two answers to the previous question, please secify which answer is the most important for you? A85NO - Answer number which is the most important for you A86 - Are you planning to have a child or children in the future? A86NO - Number of children that you are planning to have in the future? A87 - When do you wish to have your next child? A88 - Why do you wish to have more children? A89 - If you choosed more than two answers to the previous question, please secify which answer is the most important for you? A89NO - Answer number which is the most important for you A90 - If you do not want to have (more) children or are unsure, then why? A91 - If you choosed more than two answers to the previous question, please secify which answer is the most important for you? A91NO - Answer number which is the most important for you A92 - Are there any possible changes in society or in your private life that can affect your decision about having (more) children? A93 - If you choosed more than two answers to the previous question, please secify which answer is the most important for you? A93NO - Answer number which is the most important for you A94 - How would you rate your current level of health? A95 - How would you rate your quality of life? A96 - Do you have some long-term illness, physical disability or handicap, injury or pain, that affects your functioning or ability to work? A97 - How tall are you? (cm) A98 - How much you do weigh (not being pregnant)? (kg) A99 - Have you visited a doctor during last 12 months because of a disease (and also pregnancy and delivery)? A99NO - Number of times visited a doctor during last 12 months because of a disease A100 - Have you been hospitalised during last 12 months because of a disease (and also pregnancy and delivery)? A100NO - Number of times been hospitalised during last 12 months GYN - Whether you have visited a gynecologist? (based on question 101) A101 - At what age did you first visit a gynaecologist? (years) A101A - How do you rate your first visit to a gynaecologist? A102 - Have you undergone any of the following examinations? A104 - Have you been smoking at least one sigarette, sigar or pipe per day during one year? A105 - How often do you drink sufficient alcohol to get drunk? NARKO - Whether ever used grugs? (based on question 106) A106 - Have you ever used drugs? (Contains answers for the last 2 response options) VIOL - Have you experienced any of the the following situations described in question 107? A107 - Situations that you have experienced during the last year? (Contains answers for the first 7 response options) FIGHT - Have you been quarreling with your partner during the last year? (based on question 108) A108 - If you have been quarreling with your partner during the last year, how often did you have the following? (Contains answers for the first 3 response options) A109 - Have you talked to anyone about the violence?