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Examining determinants of gender attitudes: evidence among Tanzanian adolescents.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:The shaping of gender beliefs and attitudes in early adolescence affects the way young people internalize and self-enforce prevalent notions of masculinity and femininity, with lifelong consequences for sexual and reproductive health. This cross-sectional study examines determinants of gender attitudes among some of the poorest and most vulnerable adolescents in Tanzania using an ecological model. METHODS:Data come from baseline interviews with 2458 males and females aged 14-19?years conducted as part of a larger impact evaluation. Structural equation models are used to examine how factors at the community-, household-, and individual-levels influence gender attitudes in the four domains measured by the Gender Equitable Men (GEM) Scale (i.e. violence, sexual relationships, reproductive health and disease prevention, and domestic chores and daily life). RESULTS:A structural equation model of the four latent domains of the GEM scale regressed on individual, social-interactional and structural level characteristics indicated that secondary school attendance was associated with more equitable gender attitudes, while females held less equitable attitudes than males in the sample. Having had sexual intercourse was associated with more gender equitable attitudes among females, but the reverse was true among males. CONCLUSIONS:Addressing gender inequity requires understanding gender socialisation at the socio-interactional level. As females had more inequitable gender attitudes than males in the study, a special emphasis on highlighting the rights of women to girls should be considered. This study will inform future analysis of programme impacts on gender attitudes and sexual and reproductive health.

SUBMITTER: Palermo T

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7488302 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Examining determinants of gender attitudes: evidence among Tanzanian adolescents.

Palermo Tia T Chzhen Yekaterina Y Balvin Nikola N Kajula Lusajo L

BMC women's health 20200910 1

<h4>Background</h4>The shaping of gender beliefs and attitudes in early adolescence affects the way young people internalize and self-enforce prevalent notions of masculinity and femininity, with lifelong consequences for sexual and reproductive health. This cross-sectional study examines determinants of gender attitudes among some of the poorest and most vulnerable adolescents in Tanzania using an ecological model.<h4>Methods</h4>Data come from baseline interviews with 2458 males and females ag ...[more]

PMID: 32912210

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Project description:IntroductionThe role of gender norms in shaping education and work opportunities, distribution of power and resources, and health and wellbeing is well recognised. However, rigorous studies in low- and middle-income countries on when and how norms change over time and what factors shape adolescents' and young adult's gender attitudes are limited. This paper explores the factors that determine adolescents' gender attitudes, as well as patterns in gender attitude shifts over time among younger and older adolescent boys and girls in India.Data and methodsData presented in this paper were drawn from a unique longitudinal study of adolescents aged 10-19 (Understanding the lives of adolescent and young adults-UDAYA study) in the states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in India, conducted during 2015-2016 (wave 1) and 2018-2019 (wave 2). The analysis presented in this paper drew on data from 4,428 boys and 7,607 girls who were aged 10-19 and unmarried at wave 1 and interviewed at both rounds of the survey. We used univariate and bivariate analyses to examine changes in adolescents' gender role attitudes over time and the association between explanatory variables and gender role attitudes. We also used linear fixed effects regression models to identify factors that shape adolescents' gender role attitudes.ResultsGender role attitudes became more egalitarian over time among boys and girls, except among the older cohort of boys in our study. Among both younger and older cohorts, girls/young women held more egalitarian views than boys/young men and this pattern held over time for both cohorts. Factors that influenced gender role attitudes differed for younger and older adolescents, particularly among boys. While some predictors differed for boys and girls, there were substantial similarities as well. Gender attitudes were affected by factors at the individual, family, peer, and societal levels, as well as by community engagement.ConclusionsOur findings show that it is possible to shift gender attitudes toward greater equity and, in so doing, contribute to improved health and rights.

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Examining determinants of gender attitudes: evidence among Tanzanian adolescents.

Publications

Examining determinants of gender attitudes: evidence among Tanzanian adolescents.

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