Perspectives Of Adolescent Girls Research Articles

The Risks to which Adolescent Girls are Exposed Via the Internet in Jordan and the Protection Mechanisms used from the Perspective of Adolescent Girls and their Caregivers

The current study investigated the risks to which adolescent girls are exposed on the Internet, and identified the protection mechanisms used from the point of view of the adolescent girls themselves and from the point of view of their caregivers. The study used the qualitative approach (topic analysis) by conducting four focus group discussions with adolescent girls aged (10-17).And four focus group discussions with caregivers, and the results showed some of the risks to which adolescent girls are exposed, represented by electronic violence (bullying, harassment), security risks (hacking accounts, sending inappropriate photos and videos, accessing the dark web, and some social risks such as isolation, imitating negative behavior, and weak Academic performance, in addition to some psychological risks such as spending long hours in front of devices, the results showed several options used by young women, such as activating some protection options in search engines and applications, reporting to service providers and informing their mother or older sister, avoiding opening links from unreliable sources, The options used by caregivers were to sit in a place visible to parents, avoid opening links from unreliable sources, prevent adolescent girls from accessing the Internet or owning devices, family awareness, and defining some rules of use. Future work should investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of such interventions to support adolescents' emotional health and prevent the escalation of unsafe Internet use.

Health Literacy among the Adolescent Girls: A Socio-Economic Analysis of the Adolescent Girls of Darrang District, Assam

In the present century the most needed quality that every society should have is the “Health Literacy”. In this century where we are facing pandemics, where people are witnessing or to be specific suffering from various savage troubles people are really required to be conscious about their health. We have chosen to study this problem more importantly from the perspective of adolescent girls as adolescence is the most critical age of development full of multifaceted problems and challenges. They not only experience rapid developmental changes but also face various psycho-social trauma and anxiety. We have chosen Darrang district as our subject area to study. We have sufficiently made investigation on the issue to grasp the real scenario. This paper will surely throw light on the rate of health consciousness or literacy among the adolescent girls of this specific area. If there is any inefficiency then through this paper, we will make effort to provide probable solution to it. We have properly studied the adolescent girls between the age of 12 to 18 through primary and secondary sources. We have used survey as well as personal interview among the subject to find out the outcome.

HPV vaccination in Kenya: a study protocol to assess stakeholders' perspectives on implementation drivers of HPV vaccination and the acceptability of the reduced dose strategy among providers.

Cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among Kenyan women. Persistent infection with high-risk oncogenic Human papillomavirus (HPV) genotypes is a necessary cause of cervical cancer. HPV vaccines are safe, durable, and efficacious in preventing incident HPV infections. In Kenya, despite efforts to increase HPV vaccination, coverage remains low. We sought to assess: (1) barriers and facilitators of HPV vaccination from the perspective of adolescent girls and young women (AGYW), their guardians as well as stakeholders involved in HPV vaccine delivery, and (2) the acceptability of the single dose of the HPV vaccination among healthcare providers (HCPs). Our study is nested within the KENya Single-dose HPV-vaccine Efficacy study (KEN SHE) that sought to test the efficacy of single-dose bivalent (HPV 16/18) and single-dose nonavalent (HPV 16/18/31/33/45/52/58/6/11) vaccination. We are conducting this study in Kiambu, Nairobi, and Kisumu counties. In these counties, we are interviewing stakeholders (n = ∼25), selected based on their role in HPV vaccination at the county and national levels. Interviews are audio recorded and conducted in English or Swahili. The semi-structured interview guides were designed based on: (1) the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) for AGYW and guardians and (2) the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) for other stakeholders. The Theoretical Framework of Acceptability (TFA) was leveraged to design the survey administered to HCPs (n = ∼309) involved in HPV vaccination. We will develop a codebook based on emerging codes from the transcripts and constructs from the TDF and CFIR. Emerging themes will be summarized highlighting similarities and differences between and within the different stakeholder groups and counties. Descriptive statistics and a χ2 test will be used to assess the distribution of responses between the different sites and regression analysis will be used to assess factors associated with high acceptability of the single-dose strategy while controlling for confounding variables. Our study will describe key barriers and facilitators that affect HPV vaccination from the perspective of multiple stakeholders as well as insights on the perspective of HCPs towards the single-dose strategy to inform the designing of strategies to increase HPV vaccination uptake in Kenya and comparable settings.

The Therapeutic Aspects of Embroidery in Art Therapy from the Perspective of Adolescent Girls in a Post-Hospitalization Boarding School.

This phenomenological qualitative study explored the experiences of adolescent girls with emotional disorders from post-hospitalization boarding schools who embroidered in an art therapy open studio group. A Youth Participatory Action Research approach and the bioecological model were used to shed light on the therapeutic process of embroidery. Through a thematic analysis of the focus groups and interviews with 13 participants, we identified five themes specifically related to embroidery: (a) control versus release/freedom; (b) calmness that comes from the repetitive action and focus; (c) the experience of being exceptional versus conventional; (d) the "stitch through time" experience, which involves a dialogue with the past, present, and future through embroidery; and (e) the overt-latent layers of consciousness. The findings suggest that embroidery has therapeutic benefits for this population and supports psychological development. This study reveals that embroidery, whose threads are intricately embedded in society and culture, and may provide a unique and meaningful activity for young people in post-hospitalization boarding schools and enables a social and cultural exploration of self and community. Limitations of this study and recommendations for further research are also discussed.

Factors that influence the uptake of postnatal care among adolescent girls: a qualitative evidence synthesis

BackgroundAdolescent pregnancy is associated with increased risk of maternal and child morbidity and mortality globally. Access to safe, appropriate and affordable antenatal, childbirth and postnatal care (PNC) is essential in...

“I would have liked to be better prepared for the real things”: A qualitative analysis of school-based sexual health education received by girls who have experienced sexual dating violence

Canadian guidelines suggest using a positive, empowering, comprehensive, and safe approach to provide sexual health education (SHE). However, when they do so, decision-makers and educators often favour sexual risk prevention initiatives rather than positive aspects of sexuality. Furthermore, youth often criticize the gap between what they learn in class and what they experience in “real” life. This is particularly true for youth who have experienced sexual dating violence and whose particular needs are little considered in the development of SHE initiatives. The current qualitative study aimed to identify the key principles of SHE from the perspective of adolescent girls who experienced sexual dating violence. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with 100 adolescent female participants, aged between 14 and 19 years old, who reported at least one experience of sexual dating violence. Four conceptual categories were created based on participants’ narratives, from which a theorization of SHE key principles was conducted: (1) Consent-Based: SHE should promote the affirmation and respect of sexual desires and boundaries; (2) Positive-Oriented: SHE should promote the legitimization of girls’ sexuality and pleasure; (3) Gender Equality–Focused: SHE should promote gender equality in sexual and romantic relationships; and (4) Developmentally Appropriate: SHE should correspond to the psychosexual development of youth. Results support the relevance of educating about consent, promoting a positive and inclusive approach to sexuality with sexually victimized youth, and involving them in SHE initiatives to better meet their needs. Implications for practice are discussed.

Changes in the Construction of the Meaning of Beauty in the Perspective of Adolescent Girls in Padangsidimpuan City

This research is motivated by young women who do self-care to follow the beauty standards that apply to the current social construction in the city of Padangsidimpuan. The existence of this social construction has become a phenomenon among adolescent girls to force themselves to get a beautiful predicate from their environment so that teenagers who are in the stage of finding their identity position themselves to be following what society wants. The construction of beauty that is now embraced by teenagers has changed from time to time. The purpose of this study was to determine the changes in the shape of the construction of women's beauty in the city of Padangsidimpuan in the past and present. This research was conducted using a qualitative approach with a phenomenological study type. Determination of informants using a purposive sampling technique. Data was collected using observation, interviews, and documentation studies. Test the validity of the data using triangulation. The result is a change in the shape of the construction of the beauty of Padangsidimpuan women in the past and present which was built by the mass media and the public, who used to be sweet black women, broad legs and shoulders, black and thick hair, a body shape that is not thin and not fat is considered beautiful. experiencing various changes in the form of beauty with the criteria of having white facial skin, clean, without spots and acne, small legs, shoulders, and hands, slim body, tall and slender, and does not have other skin disorders. This study concludes that it must be realized that not all beauty standards need to be followed. Because the real beauty is women who can be themselves, be grateful for what they have by cultivating their senses, positive talents that they have for future success. Because by having a good heart, beauty can be perfect when combined with self-confidence that does not feel different from the prevailing beauty standards.

Perspectives of Adolescent Girls and Young Women on Optimizing Youth-Friendly HIV and Sexual and Reproductive Health Care in Zambia.

Youth-friendly health care delivery models are needed to address the complex health care needs of adolescent girls and young women (AGYW). The aim of this study is to explore the lived experiences of AGYW seeking comprehensive HIV and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) care and to elicit their preferences for integrated health care services. We conducted in-depth interviews and focus group discussions in Lusaka, Zambia among 69 AGYW aged 10-20 who were HIV-negative or of unknown status and 40 AGYW aged 16-24 living with HIV. The data were coded through deductive and inductive processes and analyzed thematically using modified World Health Organization (WHO) dimensions of quality for youth-friendly services. AGYW expressed preference for one-stop clinics with integrated services that could provide HIV services along with other services such as pregnancy testing and family planning. AGYW also wanted information on staying healthy and approaches to prevent disease which could be delivered in the community setting such as youth clubs. An integrated clinic should address important attributes to AGYW including short wait time, flexible opening hours, assurance of confidentiality and positive staff attitudes. Youth-friendly, integrated care delivery models that incorporate AGYW preferences may foster linkages to care and improve outcomes among vulnerable AGYW.

Safe Neighborhood for Adolescent Girls: The Case of Urban Dense Kampong In Yogyakarta City Center

Nowadays, the percentage of adolescents living in urban areas is increasing, including in Indonesia. Unfortunately, urban planning and design are very limited in involving the perspective of youth, including the provision of safe public space. This paper is concerned with understanding safe public spaces from the perspective of adolescent girls. This paper aims to explore whether the neighborhood, specifically its public spaces, according to the girls' perspective is safe enough by using a case study approach with the case of a dense organic neighborhood in the city of Yogyakarta, Kampong Code. The information was obtained by observation, forum group discussion (FGD), and also by conducting a safety walk with local adolescent girls. This paper found that although from a normative perspective, public spaces in the neighborhood are considered as not safe enough, because they were familiar with this condition, they tend to perceive that as a usual situation.

The Lived Experience of Early Marriage in Jordan: The Perspective of Adolescent Girls and Young Women

Child or early marriage, primarily due to cultural factors, continues as a tradition and seems to be a growing phenomenon in Jordan. This research explores the lived experience of early marriage from the perspective of adolescent girls and young women. A qualitative research design and in-depth face-to-face interviews in the Arabic language were conducted with 36 female subjects, married before the age of 18 and all newlyweds, married for less than 3 years. Six major themes emerged from the interviews to describe the experience of the participants: “Feeling remorse about getting married early”; “Loss of authority and feeling powerless”; “Reasons behind early marriage”; “Feeling pressure to have the first baby”; “Early marriage and pregnancy health consequences”; and “The positive aspects of an early marriage.” The lived experience revealed in this study confirm the overall negative effect of girls entering marriage at a young age, Early marriage is a violation of human rights, and robs girls of their childhood, education, work, and other life choices, in addition to the reported adverse psychological and physical effects.

Trauma, Haunting, and the Limits of Narration in Gabi Köpp’sWarum war ich bloß ein Mädchen, Leonie Biallas’s“Komm, Frau, raboti”: Ich war Kriegsbeute, and Renate Meinhof’sDas Tagebuch der Maria Meinhof

In this article the author examines three examples of German women’s life-writing that thematize mass rapes by the Red Army at the end of the Second World War from the perspective of adolescent girls, regarding their representation of the rapes and the way they frame the trauma experienced by the survivors along with short- and long-term consequences. The author argues that despite the effects of what Suzette Henke calls “scriptotherapy” the narratives may have had for their writers, two levels of haunting intersect and ultimately remain unreconciled in these texts : (1) the haunting of the sexual violence that affected the women personally; and (2) the haunting of the Nazi past. While the former is the main focus of the narratives in that they attempt to formulate what Urvashi Butalia calls a “vocabulary of rupture” around traumatic memory, the latter manifests in a contradictory representation of the Soviets as well as in narrative lacunae or erasure of Nazi Germany’s responsibility for the war. The author concludes with a reflection on contemporary sexual politics and the transgenerational impact of the haunting in children born of rape.

‘McDonald’s Is Good for My Social Life’. Developing Health Promotion Together with Adolescent Girls from Disadvantaged Neighbourhoods in Amsterdam

There is limited knowledge about key factors that enable adolescent girls with a low socioeconomic position (SEP) to adopt a healthy lifestyle. This paper aims to better understand the complexity of addressing health behaviour of adolescent girls with a low SEP by gaining insights into (i) the perspectives of adolescent girls with a low SEP (n = 26) on a healthy lifestyle, (ii) how to develop health promotion that fits these girls’ daily realities, by using participatory action research (PAR) in which girls developed health promotion materials. The study offers an understanding of girls’ daily lives and how health promotion could be improved.

Understanding How School Climate Affects Overall Mood in Residential Care: Perspectives of Adolescent Girls in Foster Care and Juvenile Justice Systems

AbstractThe aim of the study is to understand the perceptions of court‐involved adolescent girls in residential treatment (40% delinquency, 60% foster care/child abuse and neglect) on school climate and factors that affect their mood in school. Participants included 27 adolescent females in residential care for both types of court involvement in a large urban area in a Midwestern state. Age of the participants ranged from 12 to 18. Four major themes from the three focus groups that were conducted included relationships and interactions with peers, interactions with staff and teachers and their perceptions about these interactions, the demands of the learning environment, and sensitivity to being touched. Practice implications are discussed.

Perspectives of adolescent girls with cystic fibrosis and parents on disease-specific sexual and reproductive health education.

Adolescent girls with cystic fibrosis (CF) face significant disease-specific sexual and reproductive health (SRH) concerns that are not typically addressed in routine clinical care. Additionally, there is a paucity of developmentally appropriate CF-specific SRH educational resources for this population. The goal of this study was to explore patient and parent attitudes toward SRH educational resources for adolescent girls with CF. Adolescent girls ages 13-18 years with CF and parents of daughters ages 10-18 years with CF completed individual, semi-structured interviews regarding their experiences and preferences around CF-specific SRH education and care. To facilitate discussion, participants provided feedback on the format and design of existing SRH educational resources. Qualitative analysis was conducted using a thematic analysis approach. We interviewed 26 participants (14 parents and 12 patients). The majority reported they had never discussed SRH in the CF care setting. All participants preferred a comprehensive, online patient educational resource complemented by real patient stories and interactive components. Participants noted that such resources should create a sense of normalcy and community around CF and female SRH. Most desired more frequent communication around SRH between adolescent girls with CF and their healthcare providers as a way to promote SRH knowledge, decision making, and health outcomes. Adolescent girls with CF and their parents desire an online patient educational resource that normalizes SRH and enhances patient-provider communication around these topics. Creation of developmentally appropriate resources would facilitate improved health outcomes around this aspect of comprehensive care in CF.

Informing sexual health intervention development in India: Perspectives of daughters, mothers, and service providers in Mumbai

In India, girls face many challenges that pose a threat to their sexual health and psychological well-being. The authors explore sexual health from the perspectives of adolescent girls, mothers of adolescent girls, and service providers. Focus groups and interview data were analyzed to understand the unique and shared perspectives of stakeholders. Through the use of the deductive-inductive coding process, the authors identified themes and differences in perspectives. The findings reveal that girls, mothers, and service providers share an understanding of the importance of girls having access to sexual health information and the value of mothers disseminating information to their daughters.

Influence of sociocultural factors on body image from the perspective of adolescent girls

Body image is a relevant topic in the development of identity during the adolescence, where social factors are significant in determining individual expectations. This study aims to describe and analyze the perception that female adolescents have about the influence of sociocultural factors on their own body image. This research has a qualitative, exploratory and descriptive approach based on the Grounded Theory. Five adolescent girls aged between 16 and 18 years were interviewed. Results show that body image is characterized by ambivalent feelings and different degrees of body dissatisfaction. In general, participants overvalue physical aspects, for instance, thinness is believed as a sign of attractiveness, success and perfection, prototype linked to body dissatisfaction. The more influential sociocultural parameters were mass media, especially online social networks, peers and family. It is concluded that strengthening critical judgment skills to distinguish between the ideal body and the real body could enhance the prevention of eating disturbances in adolescent women.

The Role of Mother in Informing Girls About Puberty: A Meta-Analysis Study.

ContextFamily, especially the mother, has the most important role in the education, transformation of information, and health behaviors of girls in order for them to have a healthy transition from the critical stage of puberty, but there are different views in this regard.ObjectivesConsidering the various findings about the source of information about puberty, a meta-analysis study was conducted to investigate the extent of the mother’s role in informing girls about puberty.Data SourcesThis meta-analysis study was based on English articles published from 2000 to February 2015 in the Scopus, PubMed, and Science direct databases and on Persian articles in the SID, Magiran, and Iran Medex databases with determined key words and their MeSH equivalent.Study SelectionQuantitative cross-sectional articles were extracted by two independent researchers and finally 46 articles were selected based on inclusion criteria. STROBE list were used for evaluation of studies.Data ExtractionThe percent of mothers as the current and preferred source of gaining information about the process of puberty, menarche, and menstruation from the perspective of adolescent girls was extracted from the articles. The results of studies were analyzed using meta-analysis (random effects model) and the studies’ heterogeneity was analyzed using the I2 calculation index. Variance between studies was analyzed using tau squared (Tau2) and review manager 5 software.ResultsThe results showed that, from the perspective of teenage girls in Iran and other countries, in 56% of cases, the mother was the current source of information about the process of puberty, menarche, and menstruation. The preferred source of information about the process of puberty, menarche, and menstruation was the mother in all studies at 60% (Iran 57%, and other countries 66%).ConclusionsAccording to the findings of this study, it is essential that health professionals and officials of the ministry of health train mothers about the time, trends, and factors affecting the start of puberty using a multi-dimensional approach that involves religious organizations, community groups, and peer groups.

Dealing with fear – from the perspective of adolescent girls with cancer

BackgroundPreviously fears in adolescents with cancer has been identified in relation to medical procedures, death, altered appearance and as having an overall influence on life, but to our knowledge young people’s perspectives on dealing with fear have not been previously investigated. PurposeTo examine adolescents’ perspectives on dealing with cancer related fear. Methods and sampleSix girls participated in qualitative interviews focussing on their fear and and how they dealt with it. Data were analysed by means of qualitative content analysis. ResultsThe results revealed two perspectives. First, the adolescents’ own personal battle with fear. Second, they reported that they were not alone with their fear, as they shared it with significant others. An environment characterized by emotional presence helped them to deal with their fear, as well as prevented it from occurring. ConclusionsThere is a need for staff and parents to be vigilant to the adolescents’ need to feel cared for and allow them the opportunity to deal with their own fear, as at times they want to manage in their own way. Young patients have resources to cope with their fears and therefore should not be viewed as victims, but as young people with a great amount of competence, who benefit from a supportive environment.

All-girls adventure programmes: what are the benefits?

This study examined the benefits of all-girls adventure programmes from the perspective of adolescent girls. Participants included 361 girls aged 10–17 years from diverse ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds who completed a variety of adventure programmes. Adventure activities included rock climbing, sea kayaking, mountaineering, backpacking, canyoneering and mountain biking. The programme philosophies of each organization are rooted in a strength-based approach for programme planning and implementation which focus on supporting positive physical, social and emotional growth of girls. Using an open-ended survey and qualitative methods of coding, three themes emerged illustrating the benefits of these all-girls programmes from the girls' point of view: feelings of safety and comfort, increased connection to others, and freedom from stereotypes. The girls also considered how their experience may have differed if the setting had been co-educational (co-ed).

Adolescent Girls’ and Boys’ Perceptions of Mental Health

The aims of this study are to analyse the concept of mental health from the perspective of adolescent girls and boys and to describe what adolescent girls and boys regard as important determinants of mental health. Interviews with 48 children, 13 and 16 years old, in Sweden were held individually or in focus groups. The adolescents perceived mental health as an emotional experience, where positive as well as negative health is part of the concept. Family is the most important determinant for young people's mental health, closely followed by friends. Neither girls nor boys believed that there were any large differences in mental health between girls and boys. Age differences seemed to be more important than gender in the perception of mental health by children.