Dataset Information

Developing a framework for cash transfer programs that foster sustained economic empowerment to reduce sexual risk among adolescent girls and young women: a qualitative study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Transactional sexual relationships contribute to a high incidence of HIV infection among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) living in low-resource settings. Cash transfers (CT) are a structural approach to reduce sexual risk behaviors, but their positive economic effects frequently fade after the program ends. We aimed to understand AGYW's decision-making processes related to sexual, relationship, and financial decisions, in order to design a framework for a CT program that could lead to long-term financial independence and reduced transactional sex among AGYW.

Methods

We conducted qualitative research with AGYW participating in a CT program in Tanzania. Phase one was formative research to understand the context and experiences of AGYW regarding sexual behavior, relationships, and finances. Participants included 36 AGYW (15-23?years old), 15 influencers of AGYW (mothers and male partners) and 10 financially empowered women (FEW - women aged 20-30 with a sustained, reliable source of income independent of their partner). Decisions and decision-making contexts of AGYW that we identified in phase one informed the content of phase two. In phase two we simulated scenarios for decision-making and economic goals with 80 AGYW and 40 FEW, in order to identify key principles or intervention opportunities to guide development of a CT program framework.

Results

Through phases one and two of our research we identified three key themes in AGYW's vision of their desired future economic state: 1) positive social image, 2) power balance and respect, and 3) emotional and economic security. An important theme distinguishing AGYW from FEW was that AGYW lacked a vision to build self-agency.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that providing economic resources to AGYW through CT without ensuring self-agency is unlikely to be an effective long-term intervention for economic empowerment. Using these findings we developed a framework for CT programs with three key pillars for developing self-agency: 1) emotional efficacy, to increase AGYW's perception of rewards associated with developing self-agency; 2) social efficacy, to build constructive relationships and exit negative relationships that inhibit self-agency, and 3) economic efficacy, to help AGYW build a resilient stream of financial resources.

SUBMITTER: Gangaramany A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7802135 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Developing a framework for cash transfer programs that foster sustained economic empowerment to reduce sexual risk among adolescent girls and young women: a qualitative study.

Gangaramany Alok A Balvanz Peter P Gichane Margaret Waruguru MW Goetschius Stephan S Sharma Saransh S Sharma Krittika K Mulhausen Jeff J Noble-Campbell Paul P Wamoyi Joyce J Maman Suzanne S Prasad Ram R

BMC public health 20210111 1

<h4>Background</h4>Transactional sexual relationships contribute to a high incidence of HIV infection among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) living in low-resource settings. Cash transfers (CT) are a structural approach to reduce sexual risk behaviors, but their positive economic effects frequently fade after the program ends. We aimed to understand AGYW's decision-making processes related to sexual, relationship, and financial decisions, in order to design a framework for a CT program th ...[more]

PMID: 33430861

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Project description:BackgroundEarly adolescence is a critical window for intervention when it is possible to lay a foundation for a safe transition to adulthood, before negative outcomes occur. The Adolescent Girls Initiative-Kenya randomized trial tested the effects of combinations of interventions for young adolescent girls in two sites - the Kibera informal settlement in Nairobi and rural Wajir County in the Northeastern region.MethodsThe interventions included community dialogues on the role and value of girls (violence prevention), a conditional cash transfer (education), weekly group meetings for girls with health and life skills training (health), and training and incentives for financial literacy and savings activities (wealth creation). Participants were randomized to one of four study arms: 1) violence prevention only, 2) violence prevention and education, 3) violence prevention, education and health or 4) violence prevention, education, health and wealth creation. An intent-to-treat (ITT) analysis was conducted using longitudinal data to estimate the impact of each combination of interventions and various sensitivity analyses conducted addressing potential attrition bias and multiple hypothesis testing concerns.ResultsIn Kibera, the education conditional cash transfer had small effects on grade attainment but larger impacts on completion of primary school and the transition to secondary school in the most comprehensive arm; the health intervention improved sexual and reproductive health knowledge and condom self-efficacy; and the wealth intervention improved financial literacy and savings behavior. In Wajir, the education conditional cash transfer increased school enrollment and grade attainment, and the wealth intervention improved savings behavior.ConclusionsThe results indicate that when trying to improve a range of outcomes related to adolescent wellbeing for young girls, a multisectoral intervention with components addressing household economic constraints is a promising approach.Trial registrationTrial Registry: ISRCTN, ISRCTN77455458 . Registered 24/12/2015 - Retrospectively registered.

Project description:BackgroundThe HIV epidemic in Eastern and Southern Africa is characterized by a high incidence and prevalence of HIV infection among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) aged 15-24 years. For instance, in some countries, HIV prevalence in AGYW aged 20-24 years exceeds that in AGYW aged 15-19 years by 2:1. Sauti (meaning voices), a project supported by the United States Agency for International Development, is providing HIV combination prevention interventions to AGYW in the Shinyanga region, Tanzania.ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to determine the impact of cash transfer on risky sexual behavior among AGYW receiving cash transfer and HIV combination prevention interventions. This paper describes the research methods and general protocol of the study. Risky sexual behavior will be assessed by herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) incidence, compensated sex (defined as sexual encounters motivated by exchange for money, material support, or other benefits), and intergenerational sex (defined as a sexual partnership between AGYW and a man 10 or more years older). Through a qualitative study, the study seeks to understand how the intervention affects the structural and behavioral drivers of the HIV epidemic.MethodsThe trial employs audio computer-assisted self-interviewing, participatory group discussions (PGDs), and case studies to collect data. A total of 30 matched villages (15 intervention and 15 control clusters) were randomized to either receive cash transfer delivered over 18 months in addition to other HIV interventions (intervention arm) or to receive other HIV interventions without cash transfer (control arm). Study participants are interviewed at baseline and 6, 12, and 18 months to collect data on demographics, factors related to HIV vulnerabilities, family planning, sexual risk behavior, gender-based violence, and HSV-2 and HIV infections. A total of 6 PGDs (3 intervention, 3 control) were conducted at baseline to describe perceptions and preferences of different intervention packages, whereas 20 case studies are used to monitor and unearth the dynamics involved in delivery and uptake of cash transfer.ResultsThe study was funded in June 2017; enrollment took place in December 2017. A total of two rounds of the follow-up survey are complete, and one round has yet to be conducted. The results are expected in December 2019 and will be disseminated through conferences and peer-reviewed publications.ConclusionsThis study will document the synergetic impact of cash transfer in the presence of HIV combination prevention interventions on risky sexual behavior among out-of-school AGYW. The results will strengthen the evidence of cash transfer in the reduction of risky sexual behavior and provide feasible HIV prevention strategies for AGYW.Trial registrationClinicaltrials.gov NCT03597243; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03597243.International registered report identifier (irrid)DERR1-10.2196/14696.

Project description:Early adolescence is a period characterized by enormous biological, cognitive, sexual, emotional, and social changes. Sexual curiosity and the desire to acquire sexual health (SH) information are part of these developments. Understanding the SH knowledge acquisition process is critical for designing interventions that can best support very young adolescents (VYAs). This study explored the SH knowledge acquisition processes among VYA girls aged 10 to 14 years who attended the DREAMs Girl Only Clubs (GOCs) and those who did not. The GOCs were a part of a larger comprehensive HIV prevention project called DREAMS (Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-free, Mentored, and Safe) which provided an evidence-based core package of interventions to VYAs to prevent HIV. In-depth interviews were conducted with 43 VYA girls aged 10-14 years in two rural southern districts of Zomba and Machinga in Malawi. Twenty-three VYA girls were GOC participants and 20 VYAs were not. Guided by the Social Ecological Model, a thematic analysis approach was used to analyze the data with the assistance of Nvivo 12 software. The SH knowledge acquisition processes were the interaction of various factors at the microsystem (self-efficacy, attitudes, trust and the beginning of menstruation), mesosystem (communication of SH issues between VYAs and their immediate family and peers), and exosystem levels (availability of life skills programs and mother-groups in schools and availability of GOCs). Compared to Non-GOC participants, GOC participants demonstrated an in-depth knowledge of SH issues and positive sexual behaviors such as HIV testing. Limitations to SH knowledge acquisition were adult messages' focus on sexual relationship avoidance and on girls who have started menstruation; the perception of adults not being knowledgeable about SH and school teachers hiding some SH information. VYAs' SH interventions that provide VYAs with accurate, consistent, and age-appropriate SH information such as the GOCs have the potential to address the limitations that other sources have in reaching VYAs. Integrating such interventions with programs that empower parents, other adults, and teachers with comprehensive SH information and with skills on how to deliver SH information to VYAs can enhance VYAs' SH knowledge acquisition and influence positive behavior change.

Project description:BackgroundThe vast majority of adolescent births occur in low- and middle-income countries and are associated with negative outcomes for both the mother and her child. A multitude of risk factors may explain why few programs have been successful in delaying childbearing and suggest that multisectoral interventions may be necessary. This study examines the longer-term impact of a two-year (2015-17) multisectoral program on early sexual debut and fertility in an urban informal settlement in Kenya.MethodsThe study used a randomized trial design, longitudinally following 2,075 girls 11-14 years old in 2015 until 2019. The interventions included community dialogues on unequal gender norms and their consequences (violence prevention), a conditional cash transfer (education), health and life skills training (health), and financial literacy training and savings activities (wealth). Girls were randomized to one of four study arms: 1) violence prevention only (V-only); 2) V-only and education (VE); 3) VE and health (VEH); or 4) all four interventions (VEHW). We used ANCOVA to estimate intent-to-treat (ITT) impacts of each study arm and of pooled study arms VE, VEH, and VEHW relative to the V-only arm, on primary outcomes of fertility and herpes simplex virus-2 (HSV-2) infection, and secondary outcomes of education, health knowledge, and wealth creation. Post-hoc analysis was carried out on older girls who were 13-14-years-old at baseline. In 2018, in the VEHW arm, in-depth qualitative evaluation were carried out with adolescent girls, their parents, school staff, mentors, community conversation facilitators, and community gatekeepers. The trial is registered at ISRCTN: ISRCTN77455458.ResultsAt endline in the V-only study arm, 21.0 percent of girls reported having had sex, 7.7 percent having ever been pregnant and 6.6 percent having ever given birth, with higher rates for the older subsample at 32.5 percent, 11.8 percent, and 10.1 percent, respectively. In the full sample, ever having given birth was reduced by 2.3 percentage points (pp) in the VE and VEHW study arms, significant at 10 percent. For the older subsample there were larger and significant reductions in the percent ever having had sex (8.2 pp), HSV-2 prevalence (7.5 pp) and HSV-2 incidence (5.6 pp) in the VE arm. Two years after the end of the interventions, girls continued to have increased schooling, sexual and reproductive health knowledge, and improved financial savings behaviors. Qualitatively, respondents reported that girls were likely to have sex as a result of child sexual exploitation, peer pressure or influence from the media, as well as for sexual adventure and as a mark of maturity.ConclusionThis study demonstrates that multisectoral cash plus interventions targeting the community and household level, combined with interventions in the education, health, and wealth-creation sectors that directly target individual girls in early adolescence, generate protective factors against early pregnancy during adolescence. Such interventions, therefore, potentially have beneficial impacts on the longer-term health and economic outcomes of girls residing in impoverished settings.Clinical trial registrationISRCTN registry: ISRCTN77455458; https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN77455458.

Project description:BackgroundAge disparities in sexual relationships have been proposed as a key risk factor for HIV transmission in Sub-Saharan Africa, but evidence remains inconclusive. The SIHR study, a cluster randomised trial of a cash transfer programme in Malawi, found that young women in the intervention groups were less likely to have had a sexual partner aged 25 or older, and less likely to test positive for HIV and HSV-2 at follow-up compared to control groups. We examined the hypotheses that girls in the intervention groups had smaller age differences than control groups and that large age differences were associated with relationship-level HIV transmission risk factors: inconsistent condom use, sex frequency, and relationship duration.MethodsWe conducted an analysis of schoolgirls in the Schooling, Income, and Health Risk (SIHR) study aged 13-22 at baseline (n?=?2907). We investigated the effects of study arm, trial stage and participant age on age differences in sexual relationships using a linear mixed-effects model. Cumulative-link mixed-effects models were used to estimate the effect of relationship age difference on condom use and sex frequency, and a Cox proportional hazard model was used to estimate the effect of relationship age difference on relationship duration. We controlled for the girl's age, number of partners, study group and study round.ResultsGirls receiving cash transfers, on average, had smaller age differences in relationships compared to controls, though the estimated difference was not statistically significant (-?0.43 years; 95% CI: -1.03, 0.17). The older the participant was, the smaller her age differences (-?0.67 per 4-year increase in age; 95% CI: -0.99, -?0.35). Among controls, after the cash transfers had ended the average age difference was 0.82 years larger than during the intervention (95% CI: 0.43, 1.21), suggesting a possible indirect effect of the study on behaviour in the community as a whole. Across treatment groups, larger age differences in relationships were associated with lower levels of condom use, more frequent sex, and longer relationship durations.ConclusionsCash-transfer programmes may prevent HIV transmission in part by encouraging young women to form age-similar relationships, which are characterised by increased condom use and reduced sex frequency. The benefits of these programmes may extend to those who are not directly receiving the cash.

Project description:BACKGROUND:Adolescence is a critical period of human development, however, limited research on programs to improve health and well-being among younger adolescents living in conflict-affected and humanitarian settings exists. The purpose of this study was to assess the comparative effectiveness of an economic empowerment program on young adolescent outcomes in a complex humanitarian setting. METHODS:This longitudinal, mixed methods study examined the relative effectiveness of an integrated parent (Pigs for Peace, PFP) and young adolescent (Rabbits for Resilience, RFR) animal microfinance/asset transfer program (RFR + PFP) on adolescent outcomes of asset building, school attendance, mental health, experienced stigma, and food security compared to RFR only and PFP only over 24 months. A sub-sample of young adolescents completed in-depth qualitative interviews on the benefits and challenges of participating in RFR. RESULTS:Five hundred forty-two young adolescents (10-15 years) participated in three groups: RFR + PFP (N = 178), RFR only (N = 187), PFP only (N = 177). 501 (92.4%) completed baseline surveys, with 81.7% (n = 442) retention at endline. The group by time interaction (24 months) was significant for adolescent asset building (X2 = 16.54, p = .002), school attendance (X2 = 12.33, p = .015), and prosocial behavior (X2 = 10.56, p = .032). RFR + PFP (ES = 0.31, ES = 0.38) and RFR only (ES-0.39, ES = 0.14) adolescents had greater improvement in asset building and prosocial behavior compared to PFP only, respectively. The odds of missing two or more days of school in the past month were 78.4% lower in RFR only and 45.1% lower in RFR + PFP compared to PFP only. No differences between groups in change over time were found for internalizing behaviors, experienced stigma, or food security. Differences by age and gender were observed in asset building, prosocial behavior, school attendance, experienced stigma, and food security. The voices of young adolescents identified the benefits of the RFR program through their ability to pay for school fees, help their families meet basic needs, and the respect they gained from family and community. Challenges included death of rabbits and potential conflict within the household on how to use the rabbit asset. CONCLUSION:These findings underscore the potential for integrating economic empowerment programs with both parents and young adolescents to improve economic, educational, and health outcomes for young adolescents growing up in rural and complex humanitarian settings. TRIAL REGISTRATION:NCT02008695. Retrospectively registered 11 December 2013.

Dataset Information

Developing a framework for cash transfer programs that foster sustained economic empowerment to reduce sexual risk among adolescent girls and young women: a qualitative study.

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Developing a framework for cash transfer programs that foster sustained economic empowerment to reduce sexual risk among adolescent girls and young women: a qualitative study.

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