Ugandan Primary Schools Research Articles

Poverty Reduction and Family Functioning: Results from an Experimental Study in Sub-Saharan Africa

The study tests the effect of poverty-reduction intervention on family functioning reported by AIDS-orphaned children in extended families in Southern Uganda by asking two questions: (1) based on children’s reports, how does poverty reduction intervention affect family functioning? and (2) to what extent do these effects vary by a child’s gender and orphanhood status? Informed by the social causation theory, family stress model, and asset theory, the study aims to address the existing knowledge gap on effects of poverty reduction interventions on family functioning in low-income families caring for AIDS orphaned children in Uganda. We ran multilevel regression models using longitudinal data collected in a cluster-randomized controlled trial from N = 1410 children (n = 621 boys and n = 789 girls) recruited from 48 rural primary schools in Uganda. Survey data was collected every 12 months over the course of 5 years. The average age of children at enrollment was 13 years. We found significant positive effects of the intervention on family cohesion, family communication, and child-caregiver relationship. Effects vary by child’s gender and orphanhood category. Intervention improves family communication for boys, while improving family cohesion and quality of child-caregiver relationship for girls. Single maternal orphans reported improved family communication, while single paternal orphans reported improved child-caregiver relationship. Poverty reduction interventions are important to improve family functioning for low-income families. Variations by child’s gender and orphanhood status have not been reported in previous studies, and our findings underscore the importance of continued research in this area.

The Relationship Between Young Children’s Influence and violence against children in Selected Bugiri Primary Schools in Uganda

The Relationship Between Young Children’s Influence and violence against children in Selected Bugiri Primary Schools in Uganda

Wealth and learning achievement of pupils in primary schools in Uganda: Implications for government economic empowerment programs

This paper examines the possession of family wealth and its impact on the academic achievement of primary school students in Eastern Uganda. A correlational survey design was employed to analyse UWEZO secondary data collected from eight districts in the eastern region of Uganda, encompassing 6,302 children and 6,031 families. Descriptive statistics and Pearson chi-square tests were employed for data analysis. The findings indicate that socio-economic factors positively influence children's literacy and numeracy achievements. Families possessing solar lighting, mobile phones, tables, chairs, textbooks, and a reliable source of water demonstrated higher proficiency in literacy and numeracy skills. It is likely that children in households with these possessions were able to engage in private study at home, given the conducive study environment, well-lit rooms, essential furniture, and access to textbooks. Furthermore, these children were more likely to receive additional tutoring after school and had access to the internet through mobile phones and computers, allowing them to access crucial educational information. Based on these findings, we recommend that the government provide sustainable livelihood options for struggling families.

Assessing the Impact of Universal Primary Education Policy on Gender Equality in Education in Uganda

This paper provides an in-depth analysis of the impact of Uganda’s Universal Primary Education (UPE) policy on gender equality in the realm of education. Since its inception in 1997, the UPE policy has been a cornerstone of Uganda’s educational reform, with the primary objective of offering free primary education to all children. A significant aspect of this policy has been its focus on enhancing female enrollment, in response to the historical underrepresentation of girls in education due to socio-economic, cultural, and infrastructural barriers. This study employs a comprehensive approach to assess the policy’s effectiveness in bridging the gender gap within Ugandan primary schools. By analyzing a variety of metrics, including enrollment rates, dropout rates, and academic performance, the paper aims to provide a nuanced understanding of the policy’s outcomes. The analysis extends beyond mere statistics to explore the qualitative aspects of the policy’s implementation, such as the provision of gender-sensitive facilities and teaching methods, which are crucial for sustaining girls’ participation in education. Furthermore, the paper examines the broader socio-economic context in which the UPE policy operates, considering factors such as poverty, child labor, and cultural norms that disproportionately affect girls’ access to education. By situating the policy within this context, the study highlights the complex interplay between educational policies and societal dynamics in shaping gender equality in education. This paper seeks to contribute to the ongoing discourse on gender equality in education by offering a comprehensive evaluation of the UPE policy’s impact on female enrollment and retention in Ugandan primary schools. Through this analysis, the paper aims to provide insights into the successes and challenges of the policy, thereby informing future efforts to achieve gender parity in education.

Relationships Between Children’s Literacy Comprehension and Their Achievement in Numeracy and Ethno-Math at Lower Primary Schools in Uganda

The article examined the relationships between children’s literacy comprehension and their competence/achievement in numeracy and Ethno-math at lower primary schools in Uganda using the UWEZO UGANDA (2021) secondary dataset collected by a cross-sectional survey design from a sample of 14,553 pupils. The quantitative data were analyzed using Pearson Product Moment of correlation coefficient and regression analyses to establish the relationship between children’s literacy comprehension and their competencies in numeracy/ethno-math. Findings showed that there was a statistically significant relationship (r = 0.539, p < 0.001) between letter recitation and number recognition, literacy level in English and numeracy level (r = 0.768, p < 0.001), numeracy level and ethno-math (r = −0.612). Although findings show a positive relationship between letter recitation and number recognition, literacy level in English, and numeracy level, there is a negative relationship between numeracy level and ethno-math. The study concluded that children’s ability to recite letters positively influences their ability to recognize numbers. Furthermore, children’s ability in literacy comprehension positively influences their abilities in carrying out numeracy. It was also concluded that children’s ability to work out ethno-math does not necessarily mean their ability to carry out numeracy.

‘Do Not Separate Sexuality Education from Religious Teachings’: Parents’ Perceptions and Suggestions towards Sexuality Education in Uganda

The Uganda government designed a framework to teach sex education in Uganda primary schools starting from pre-primary school at the age of three up to high school. Sexuality Education (SE) is intended to be a school intervention to provide the right information to young people misled by peers, the media, and social networks that are now easily accessible. Besides, sexuality education is meant to be a school-based intervention to curb the increasing rates of premarital pregnancies that lead to school dropouts of teenage girls. However, the mention of sexuality education creates unease among parents, teachers, and policymakers. There are arguments and counterarguments that sex education potentially leads children into sexual immorality and permissiveness and sexualises the children. On the other hand, there are sections of people who are convinced that sex education is important and timely and important in Uganda. There have been barriers to the implementation of sexuality education in different contexts. The barriers include political, cultural, religious, and social concerns that influence the effective implementation of sexuality education. Besides, parents are critical in implementing any teaching about sexuality because they provide basic sexual information and knowledge to their children. For instance, they discuss issues concerning hygiene, and sexual health, such as STDs, abstinence, virginity, and relationships with their children. Binti et al. (2020) and Turnbull et al. (2008) stated that parents are influential in teaching sex education because they influence their children’s behaviours and sexual identity formation. Therefore, their opinions and attitudes are fundamental in handling sex education. In African contexts, parents impart knowledge and skills about puberty, courtship, and marriage. It is against this basis that the article discusses the perceptions and attitudes of parents towards teaching sex education in primary schools in Uganda. The article focuses on the following questions; (i) Is there a need for sexuality education? (ii) What is the appropriate content for sexuality education? (iii) Who is the best teacher for sexuality education? and (iv) What is the appropriate age for sexuality education in Uganda?

Modelling Academic Performance in Science-Based Subjects in Primary Schools in Uganda

Poor academic performance in science subjects continues to be a major setback in schools of developing countries, despite several interventions to curb the vice. This study investigated the trend in academic performance in mathematics and integrated science in Kigumba town council in Kiryandongo district in Uganda. It used a retrospective cohort analysis design of 8 government-aided and privately funded primary schools while employing documentary analysis to obtain primary leaving examinations (PLE) results. PLE data obtained using documentary analysis was subjected to trend analysis to determine trends in pupils’ performance in the last decade. The findings indicate that performance in mathematics and integrated science in private schools was better than that in government schools over the last decade. In conclusion, teachers in Ugandan government primary schools need to be more committed to teaching mathematics and integrated science so as to improve the academic performance of pupils. In turn, the government and other stakeholders need to provide the necessary prerequisites to enable the teachers to do their work effectively

Parental Roles in Attending Schools’ management Meetings and Pupils’ Academic Performance in Uganda

Pupils’ Academic Performance is wanting in many primary schools in Uganda. The public primary schools in Ndorwa County, Kabale District- Uganda is one of the case scenarios in perspective. This research sought views of internal and connected stakeholders regarding parents’ attendance of school administration meetings, in support of pupils’ educational performances. The study was aimed at developing a parental involvement school partnership model. The researcher used cross sectional survey design supported to collect and analyze both qualitative and quantitative data. A sample size of 322 was derived from a population of 2000 using simple random and purposive sampling techniques. The research data was analyzed by way of frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviations. Qualitative data was analyzed using content and thematic analysis. The results show that students of highly involved family members in schools management meetings and functions significantly outperformed those with family members who were not involved based on scores of the PLE for class 7. Parents of low-come levels, and negative attitude towards their children’s education were the main challenge. To improve pupils’ academic performance, the research recommends that parents need to consider regular attendance of school meetings and functions. Also, the government of Uganda should create policies that ensure implementation of parental involvement welfares, building of schools, family, and community partnership programs to empower parents and support their Children’s learning. The practice of parents’ attendance in school meetings and functions in support of pupils’ studies needs to be in tandem with deliberations from the ministry of education policies, district education regulations and schools’ administration directives. Parents need to check what they aid to pupils with schools’ advice.

Education and Identity Politics in Uganda

The Roman Catholic Church is globally and historically renowned for the provision of quality education that stresses the development of the whole person. Traditionally, the Consecrated persons of their religious institutes - who were well grounded in the Catholic ethos, headed the Catholic schools. Today however, the management of Catholic schools is increasingly being handed over to the non-consecrated persons who lack proper orientation in the ethos of Catholic education. The Catholic schools are facing financial challenges that are perhaps straining them into a mission drift, from prioritising the poor and the Catholic community to giving more preference to the well-to-do; and the focus on academics with limited or no integration of the Catholic values in the curriculum. The informal interaction with teachers of Catholic primary schools in Uganda revealed an increasing secularization of the Catholic Schools. It is recommended that teachers in Catholic schools be oriented in the Roman Catholic ethos and be provided with support materials that explains their faith and how it can be integrated in the curriculum. This should be followed by continuous professional development and support supervision so as to ensure the implementation of the Roman Catholic values in the Catholic founded primary schools.

Preparing Primary Schools in Uganda for the ‘Next New Normal’ Using a Comparison to India

The corona virus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused the postponement of interpersonal educational activities amongst primary school students in Uganda, especially after-school activities in the fields of vocational training and sports. This virus was first identified in Entebbe, three days after the first national lockdown was enforced on 20 th March 2020. The lockdown banned all gatherings and travel in order to minimize the spread of this highly contagious virus. This lockdown forced all educational institutions to close for approximately 83 weeks/22 months. They were allowed to re-open on 10 th January 2022. The roughly two-year study suspension disrupted students’ progress but the most adversely affected person was the rural primary school girl.In India, the first national lockdown was enforced on 22 nd March 2020 and ran for 81 weeks/22 months. It was lifted on 18 th April but subsequent lockdowns were enforced because of the virus resurgence until 31 st December, 2021.Both countries had similar lockdown periods but dissimilar challenges and outcomes. During that lockdown, educational institutions in Uganda and India tried to use or used innovative virtual learning platforms to teach, examine and promote their students virtually because physical contact was banned. These experiences and many others forced and enlightened both countries to perform their regular tasks/work under the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. It was dubbed as ‘the new normal’. Keywords: Uganda, India, national lockdown, primary schools, after-school activities, open distance learning platforms DOI: 10.7176/JEP/13-36-05 Publication date: December 31 st 2022

Suubi4StrongerFamilies: A study protocol for a clustered randomized clinical trial addressing child behavioral health by strengthening financial stability and parenting among families in Uganda.

Children in Sub-Saharan Africa are burdened by significant unmet mental health needs. Across the region, high rates of poverty, HIV/AIDS, food insecurity, stigma, and an inadequate health safety net system exacerbate serious child behavioral health needs and impede an effective response. Disruptive behavioral disorders are particularly concerning as they persist through adolescence and adulthood. Hence, addressing the context-specific social influences on child behavioral health is critical given that children in the region comprise more than half of the total regional population. Against this backdrop, this study protocol describes a randomized clinical trial that will examine the mechanisms by which economic empowerment and family strengthening interventions targeting social, familial, and context-specific drivers affect the mental health of children in Uganda. The study uses an experimental, longitudinal design across 30 cluster-randomized primary schools to compare single and combination intervention options; influences of economic empowerment and family strengthening on economic, perceptual, and functioning mediators; and context-specific moderators. The study will be conducted with 900 Ugandan children in mid-upper primary school (10-14 years). The three study conditions (n = 300 each) are: (1) economic empowerment only (EE only), (2) multiple family group-based family strengthening only (MFG-based FS only), and (3) combined EE + MFG-based FS. The interventions will be provided for 12 months; and assessments will occur at baseline, 12, 24, and 36 months. Children in Sub-Saharan Africa are burdened by significant unmet mental health needs, including disruptive behavior disorders that persist through adolescence and adulthood if left untreated. The proposed study will examine the mechanisms by which economic empowerment and family strengthening interventions targeting social, familial and context-specific drivers affect the mental health of children in mid-upper primary schools in Uganda. Findings from this study can inform group, community, and population approaches that are needed for scalable solutions to address the social drivers negatively impacting child behavioral health in low-resource settings, including in Sub-Saharan Africa. [https://clinicaltrials.gov/], identifier [NCT053 68714].

Math pedagogical practices in Kenya and Uganda, and their implications to learning in sub-Saharan Africa

This article focuses on the teaching styles and active teaching in East Africa in an attempt to examine what accounts for differences in performance between schools, and provide some lessons for sub-Saharan Africa. It uses data collected from 428 teachers in primary schools in Kenya; and 157 teachers in primary schools in Uganda. Assessment and classroom lesson video recordings of 436 lessons in math are used to generate evidence on patterns of teaching styles and active teaching. Results show that teaching practice in math is inclined towards the command and task styles that do not promote critical thinking among learners. The dominant teaching activity in math lessons was individual seat work in Kenya; and whole class chorus in Uganda. Overall, active teaching accounted for about half of the lesson time, with the other half being used in activities that do not directly enhance learning opportunities. After accounting for country-specific effects and the grade the teacher was teaching, teaching styles did not explain student performance in math, perhaps due to their ineffectiveness. The implications of these findings to the education systems in sub-Saharan Africa countries is the need to reinvigorate teaching practices; furthermore, any efforts to increase daily learning hours will be counterproductive as almost half of the lesson time is inefficiently utilized inside the classroom.

School Management Committee monitoring principles and performance of Government Aided Muslim-founded Primary Schools in Bugisu Muslim District Council, Uganda

Globally, monitoring and evaluation have taken centre stage in the development process. This is due to the fact that without measuring progress and performance, organisations may not know whether they are achieving. It has been observed over the years that Muslim-founded educational institutions have suffered performance issues the world over. In Uganda, it has been noted that Muslim-founded primary schools attempt to involve School Management Committees during monitoring activities. However, the report of BMDC (2018) indicates that the performance of Government Aided Muslim-founded Primary Schools was wanting. This study premised on Osborne and Gaebler’s (1992) constructs of monitoring, aimed at investigating the contribution of monitoring principles adhered to by the SMCs on the performance of Government Aided Muslim-founded Primary Schools in Uganda, taking the case of BMDC. A descriptive cross-sectional survey design was adopted for this study, with quantitative and qualitative data approaches, while linear regression was used to obtain the magnitude of the contribution of monitoring principles to the performance of primary schools under BMDC. The study found out that the monitoring principles adhered to by the SMC were wanting and, therefore, may have affected the performance of the schools. The study concluded that monitoring principles strongly contributed positively to the performance of the Muslim-founded Primary Schools. It is as such recommended that BMDC needs to establish an M&E framework which would ably inform monitoring principles for the SMCs.

Advancing scalability and impacts of a teacher training program for promoting child mental health in Ugandan primary schools: protocol for a hybrid-type II effectiveness-implementation cluster randomized trial

BackgroundChildren in low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs) are facing tremendous mental health challenges. Numerous evidence-based interventions (EBIs) have been adapted to LMICs and shown effectiveness in addressing the needs, but most EBIs have not been adopted widely using scalable and sustainable implementation models that leverage and strengthen existing structures. There is a need to apply implementation science methodology to study strategies to effectively scale-up EBIs and sustain the practices in LMICs. Through a cross-sector collaboration, we are carrying out a second-generation investigation of implementation and effectiveness of a school-based mental health EBI, ParentCorps Professional Development (PD), to scale-up and sustain the EBI in Uganda to promote early childhood students’ mental health. Our previous studies in Uganda supported that culturally adapted PD resulted in short-term benefits for classrooms, children, and families. However, our previous implementation of PD was relied on mental health professionals (MHPs) to provide PD to teachers. Because of the shortage of MHPs in Uganda, a new scalable implementation model is needed to provide PD at scale.ObjectivesThis study tests a new scalable and sustainable PD implementation model and simultaneously studies the effectiveness. This paper describes use of collaboration, task-shifting, and Train-the-Trainer strategies for scaling-up PD, and protocol for studying the effectiveness-implementation of ParentCorps-PD for teachers in urban and rural Ugandan schools. We will examine whether the new scale-up implementation approach will yield anticipated impacts and investigate the underlying effectiveness-implementation mechanisms that contribute to success. In addition, considering the effects of PD on teachers and students will influence by teacher wellness. This study also examines the added value (i.e. impact and costs) of a brief wellness intervention for teachers and students.MethodsUsing a hybrid-type II effectiveness-implementation cluster randomized controlled trial (cRCT), we will randomize 36 schools (18 urban and 18 rural) with 540 teachers and nearly 2000 families to one of three conditions: PD + Teacher-Wellness (PDT), PD alone (PD), and Control. Primary effectiveness outcomes are teachers’ use of mental health promoting strategies, teacher stress management, and child mental health. The implementation fidelity/quality for the scale-up model will be monitored. Mixed methods will be employed to examine underlying mechanisms of implementation and impact as well as cost-effectiveness.DiscussionThis research will generate important knowledge regarding the value of an EBI in urban and rural communities in a LMIC, and efforts toward supporting teachers to prevent and manage early signs of children’s mental health issues as a potentially cost-effective strategy to promote child population mental health in low resource settings.Trial Registration: This trial was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (registration number: NCT04383327; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04383327) on May13, 2020.

Impact of School Facilities Grant on Access and Learning Achievements in Public Primary Schools in Uganda: A Randomised Experiment

The study explored the impact of the availability of school facilities on the access and learning achievements in primary education in Uganda. It employed a randomised phase-in design by randomly assigning surveyed schools into phase I (treatment) and phase II (control). Of the 301 schools, 160 were randomly selected to receive a facilities grant (SFG) in FY2016/17 and FY2017/18 (phase I) while the remaining 141 were to receive the grant after 2019 (phase II). The results revealed a statistically significant impact on access and attendance in the lower grades of primary education. Schools that received SFG support in FY2017/18 and FY2016/17 significantly increased enrolment by 23.61 and 23.33 pupils, respectively, relative to the control group. The impacts in FY2016/17 and FY2017/18 on school attendance were 16.2 per cent and 13.2 per cent, respectively. Further, schools that received the grant in FY2017/18 recorded a significant increase in numeracy and literacy test scores by 1.28 and 1.05 percentage points, respectively, more than the control group. The study demonstrates that adequate school infrastructure remains a key component of learning support as it promotes access to education as well as students’ learning engagement. Further analysis is recommended to examine the appropriate and effective model of investment in school infrastructure.

Which language(s) matter(s) the most? Exploring the ‘schoolscapes’ of rural primary schools in Uganda

This article is an ethnographic investigation into the power and ideological relation between English and Luganda in the sociocultural and pedagogic spaces of rural primary schools in Uganda. This study focuses on the ‘schoolscape’ and examines how teachers choose the languages they use for instruction. The article also examines how signage within and without the classroom space is an extended metaphor of the power dynamics that exist between English and Luganda. The study answers two questions: firstly, what are the signage-making practices in rural Ugandan primary schools and what do these say about the status of local languages? Secondly, what are the teachers’ views regarding the signage-making practices in school? The study data were collected through observation, photography and interviews. The data is qualitatively analysed with the linguistic landscape and nexus analysis approach. The overarching claim made is that ‘schoolscapes’ are in effect microcosmic representations of wider debates foregrounded on the national language policy, which privileges English above indigenous languages. Moreover, teachers believe that indigenous languages such as Luganda hinder learners from acquiring English and therefore limit their use in learners’ interactions at school. This article calls for a rethinking of such a status quo and the deconstruction of the colonial legacy of English so as to accord greater importance to local languages for purposes of teaching and learning.

School Management Committee Monitoring Skills and Performance of Government Aided Muslim Founded Primary Schools in Uganda: A Case of Bugisu Muslim District Council

The performance of Muslim Founded educational institutions has picked a lot of interest globally over the years. The Uganda Muslim Supreme Council established structures at different levels of administration to participate in the monitoring of Muslim-founded Schools. This study premised on Osborne and Gaebler's (1992) constructs of monitoring, aimed at investigating how monitoring skills of the foundation body representatives on the School Management Committees contribute to the performance of Government Aided Muslim Founded Primary Schools in Uganda, taking a case of the BMDC. A descriptive cross-sectional survey design was adopted for this study, with quantitative and qualitative data approaches, while multivariable linear regression was used to obtain the magnitude of the contribution of SMC monitoring skills to the performance of the primary schools under BMDC. The study revealed that monitoring skills have a positive correlation with the performance of the Government Aided Muslim Founded Primary Schools, though, the correlation is moderate. The moderate correlation is caused by insufficient monitoring skills exhibited by the foundation body representatives in areas such as the development of performance indicators, collection of relevant data during monitoring, designing of monitoring tools, and usage of appropriate methods during monitoring. The study, therefore, concluded that such insufficient monitoring skills have hindered them to adequately monitor which has partly affected the performance of the schools. It is as such recommended that BMDC needs to incorporate specific non-financial empowerment capacity-building components into school activities tailored to train the members on the SMC in aspects of monitoring and evaluation, adult literacy, and financial literacy for improved skills, knowledge, and leadership.

Meeting daily drinking water needs for communities in Sub-Saharan Africa using solar reactors for harvested rainwater

Two large reactors designed for solar water disinfection (SODIS) of harvested rainwater (HRW) were built and tested in Spain (controlled conditions) and Uganda (field testing). Both reactors use V-trough aluminium mirrors and UV-transparent poly(methyl-methacrylate) (PMMA) photo-reactor tubes of diameters, 100 mm and 200 mm, for treating 90L and 140L per batch, respectively. No differences in terms of treatment performances were obtained between both solar reactors. Complete disinfection of synthetic HRW spiked with a consortium of waterborne pathogens (E. coli, S. enteritidis, E. faecalis and MS2 coliphage) was achieved under natural sunlight, obtaining > 5-log reduction values (LRV) of all bacteria for a maximum solar UVA dose of 270 kJ/m2 or 120 min of solar exposure. A 5-LRV for MS2 virus was also achieved with a maximum of up to 620 kJ/m2 of UVA dose or 300 min of solar exposure. Accelerated and natural aging of the UV-transparent PMMA material were also investigated, showing that the material is highly transparent in the UVB (from 7 to 75 %) and UVA (87 %) and photostable, with no significant change in UVB&A transmittance for 9 months under extreme conditions of solar radiation, humidity and temperature. Results for the reactors in the field, in two rural primary schools in Uganda over 1 year, demonstrated excellent performances with complete reductions of the bacterial load in natural HRW to undetectable levels of E. coli, E. faecalis and Total coliforms (<1 CFU/100 mL), meeting Ugandan national standards for potable water, with the exception of the 50 % samples for Total Plate Count, where an average of >4 LRV were also attained. An analysis of cost , materials selection and solar resources needed has been carried out to determine the affordability and feasibility of this technology. The results of this analysis demonstrated the potential capability of the 140L solar V-trough reactor for treating HRW, with an estimated cost of €0.0012 per liter.

Community Participation in Decision Making and Sustainability of Primary Schools in Uganda

The study investigated the relationship between community participation in decision making and sustainability of private primary schools in Uganda. Specifically, the study examined the relationship between community t participation in: decision making and sustainability of selected primary schools in four districts, Uganda. The study was a cross-sectional survey that adopted both quantitative and qualitative approaches to observe a sample of 269 respondents using Questionnaires and interview guides. used in the study. Whereas qualitative data was analyzed using content and thematic analysis, quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The study found a positive significant relationship between community participation in decision making and sustainability of private primary schools in Uganda. The study recommended that communities should be mobilized and empowered through community representatives to be more involved in management and monitoring of private undertaking like school.

Impact of a Family Economic Intervention (Bridges) on Health Functioning of Adolescents Orphaned by HIV/AIDS: A 5-Year (2012-2017) Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial in Uganda.

Objectives. To investigate the long-term impacts of a family economic intervention on physical, mental, and sexual health of adolescents orphaned by AIDS in Uganda.Methods. Students in grades 5 and 6 from 48 primary schools in Uganda were randomly assigned at the school level (cluster randomization) to 1 of 3 conditions: (1) control (n = 487; 16 schools), (2) Bridges (1:1 savings match rate; n = 396; 16 schools), or (3) Bridges PLUS (2:1 savings match rate; n = 500; 16 schools).Results. At 24 months, compared with participants in the control condition, Bridges and Bridges PLUS participants reported higher physical health scores, lower depressive symptoms, and higher self-concept and self-efficacy. During the same period, Bridges participants reported lower sexual risk-taking intentions compared with the other 2 study conditions. At 48 months, Bridges and Bridges PLUS participants reported better self-rated health, higher savings, and lower food insecurity. During the same period, Bridges PLUS participants reported reduced hopelessness, and greater self-concept and self-efficacy. At 24 and 48 months, Bridges PLUS participants reported higher savings than Bridges participants.Conclusions. Economic interventions targeting families raising adolescents orphaned by AIDS can contribute to long-term positive health and overall well-being of these families.Trial Registration. ClinicalTrials.gov registration no. NCT01447615.