title: [Characteristics of reproductive health of women in their generative age].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Any research of reproductive health has to encompass the relevant connotations of this complex term. In order to establish relevant multidimensional characteristics, it is necessary to assess intercorrelations of the characteristics most commonly used to describe it.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Our aim was to describe the characteristics of reproductive health and to establish their significance in describing this term.
  
  
  METHODS
  Within the study of health of adult inhabitants of Serbia, on the sample of 2,817 women aged 20-49 years, the data on different reproductive health characteristics were collected by way of a structured questionnaire. By way of factorial analysis (principal components method, Kaisser Varimax criterion), representative characteristics (factors) were selected out of a large number of characteristics, describing reproductive health of women in a multidimensional way, interrelationships of the factors were explained, and carriers--the most important individual characteristics--were selected for further analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The characteristics of female reproductive health in Serbia are poor, both from the health policy standpoint and in comparison with other countries. Reproductive health describes 7 relevant factors and their carriers (characteristics which best reflect the variability of characteristics involved in a factor). These involve sexual behaviour (self-assessed HIV infection risk), contraception (use of contraceptive devices on one's own initiative), adequate protection of reproductive health (usage of gynaecological services even when healthy), abortions (pregnancy outcome), HIV control (HIV testing usage), postpartal protection (visits of field nurses after being discharged from maternity ward) and reproductive period (doctor visits after being discharged from maternity ward).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  All the characteristics of reproductive health used in various studies are not equally important in the description of this complex phenomenon. Factorial analysis can explain intercorrelations of the studied characteristics and make possible the selection of those most representative.
authors.forename: Snezana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Miljković
authors.forename: Dragoljub
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Djokić
authors.forename: Slavica
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Djukić-Dejanović
authors.forename: Dejan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mitrasinović
authors.forename: Gordana
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Grbić
authors.forename: Jelena
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Radosavljević-Svetozarević
authors.forename: Rade
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Prelević
authors.forename: Zarko
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Krivokapić
authors.forename: Aleksandar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Visnjić
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D018456:Reproductive Medicine; D055771:Serbia; D016387:Women's Health; D055815:Young Adult