Abstract
BackgroundDetermining risky behaviours of adolescents provides valuable information for designing appropriate intervention programmes for advancing adolescent’s health. However, these behaviours are not fully addressed by researchers in a comprehensive approach. We report the protocol of a mixed methods study designed to investigate the health risk behaviours of Moroccan adolescents with the goal of identifying suitable strategies to address their health concerns.MethodsWe used a sequential two-phase explanatory mixed method study design. The approach begins with the collection of quantitative data, followed by the collection of qualitative data to explain and enrich the quantitative findings. In the first phase, the global school-based student health survey (GSHS) was administered to 800 students who were between 14 and 19 years of age. The second phase engaged adolescents, parents and teachers in focus groups and assessed education documents to explore the level of coverage of health education in the programme learnt in the middle school. To obtain opinions about strategies to reduce Moroccan adolescents’ health risk behaviours, a nominal group technique will be used.DiscussionThe findings of this mixed methods sequential explanatory study provide insights into the risk behaviours that need to be considered if intervention programmes and preventive strategies are to be designed to promote adolescent’s health in the Moroccan school.
Highlights
Determining risky behaviours of adolescents provides valuable information for designing appropriate intervention programmes for advancing adolescent’s health
In the Arab Teens Lifestyle Study (ATLS) survey, Hamrani and collaborators found a high prevalence of sedentary behaviours and physical inactivity among Moroccan adolescents in Kenitra city public schools with 45% of Moroccan participants reporting television viewing for more than 2 h per day and 38% engaged in computer use for a similar period [12]
A description of all goals in relationship to health in the educational programme of middle schools was conducted to determine if the existing programme meets the international standards for adolescent health behaviours
Summary
Design The present study utilises a mixed methods design. The explanatory progressive approach is a two-phase mixed methods design that begins with the collection of quantitative data, followed by the collection of the qualitative data to explain and enrich the quantitative findings [21]. Phase II: qualitative study A qualitative method was designed to provide deep and broad understanding adolescent behaviours This phase was included in interviewer-administered qualitative survey and a programme analysis. Interview-based qualitative study Sample size and sampling method Adolescents were recruited from two middle schools (disadvantage and advantage according to socio-economic level) that participated in the quantitative study. From each school adolescents from the last year in middle school between the ages of 14-16 years and their parents were interviewed This age group of students was selected because they study in their educational programs all the items related to health risk behaviours. A sociologist experienced in qualitative research will lead all these steps Programme analysis study This phase was designed to describe the content and goals of the middle school health educational programmes.
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