Acceptability of youth clubs focusing on comprehensive sexual and reproductive health education in rural Zambian schools: a case of Central Province
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Date
2019
Authors
Chirwa-Kambole A, Eunice
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Zambia
Abstract
Youths in Zambia have limited access to information concerning Sexual Reproductive
Health (SRH) and this puts them at risk of unwanted pregnancy. The Research
Initiative to Support the Empowerment of Girls (RISE) is a cluster randomized testing
the effectiveness of different support packages on teenage pregnancies, early marriages
and school dropout. One of the support packages included youth clubs focusing on
comprehensive sexual and reproductive health education (CSRHE). Although similar
interventions have been implemented in other settings, their integration process has
been complex and comprehensive assessments of factors shaping acceptability of youth
clubs is lacking. Through the use of diffusions of innovations theory, this paper
qualitatively aimed to identify factors that shaped the acceptability of CSRHE youth
clubs in rural schools in Central Province.
A qualitative case study was conducted in which data gathered through eight focus
group discussions from grade eight pupils, eight key informant interviews with teachers
and document review were analyzed using thematic analysis.
The perceived relative advantage of youth clubs and the simplicity related to the use of
participatory learning methods, films and role plays to communicate sensitive
reproductive health information and made the learners like the youth clubs. Further the
perceived compatibility of the content of the sessions with the science curriculum
increased the learners’ interest in the youth club as the meetings also helped them
prepare for the school exams. However, cultural and religious beliefs among teachers
and parents regarding the use of contraceptives complicated the delivery of
reproductive health messages and the acceptability of youth club information among
the learners.
The study has demonstrated that acceptability of SRH interventions such as youth clubs
in some schools of Central Province may be successful if pupils and teachers use
interventions that depict real life. Teachers and pupils appreciated the introduction of
CSRHE youth clubs and the provision of economic support to girls and their families
that led to the reduction of early marriages, school drop-out and early pregnancies.
Key words: Comprehensive sexual and reproductive health education, youth clubs,
acceptability
Description
Keywords
Youth clubs , Reproductive health education