Economic Empowerment, HIV Risk Behavior, and Mental Health Among School-Going Adolescent Girls in Uganda

Longitudinal Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial, 2017‒2022

Dados Bibliográficos

ID11035714
AutoresFred M Ssewamala (0000-0002-4849-5650, Fred M. Ssewamala and Rachel Brathwaite are with the International Center for Child Health and Development, Brown School, Washington University in St Louis, MO. Torsten B. Neilands is with the Division of Prevention Science, University of California, San Francisco.), Rachel Brathwaite (0000-0002-9363-3581, Fred M. Ssewamala and Rachel Brathwaite are with the International Center for Child Health and Development, Brown School, Washington University in St Louis, MO. Torsten B. Neilands is with the Division of Prevention Science, University of California, San Francisco.), Torsten B Neilands (0000-0001-7936-9123, Fred M. Ssewamala and Rachel Brathwaite are with the International Center for Child Health and Development, Brown School, Washington University in St Louis, MO. Torsten B. Neilands is with the Division of Prevention Science, University of California, San Francisco.)
Ano2023
Volume113
Fascículo3
Páginas306-315
Data de publicação2023-03-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessNão
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoAmerican Journal of Public Health (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0090-0036 • E-ISSN: 1541-0048
EditoraAmerican Public Health Association (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.2105/ajph.2022.307169
PMID36603167
OpenAlexW4313553077
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas12
Referências citadas35

Objectives. To investigate the long-term (12- and 24-month) impact of an economic empowerment intervention on HIV risk behaviors and mental health among school-going adolescent girls in Uganda. Methods. A total of 1260 girls aged 14 to 17 years were randomized at the school level to (1) standard health and sex education (controls; n = 408 students; n = 16 schools), (2) 1-to-1 matched savings youth development account (YDA; n = 471 students; n = 16 schools), or (3) combination intervention (YDA and multiple family group [YDA+MFG]; n = 15 schools; n = 381 students). Mixed-effects models were fitted. Results. YDA and YDA+MFG girls had significantly lower depressive symptoms and better self-concept than controls at 24 months. Only YDA+MFG girls had significantly lower hopelessness levels than controls. There were no significant study group differences at 12 and 24 months for sexual risk-taking behavior and attitudes. There was no significant difference between YDA and YDA+MFG groups for all outcomes. Conclusions. Providing YDA and MFG can positively improve adolescent girls’ mental health, but our analyses showed no significant differences across groups on sexual risk-taking behaviors. Future studies may consider replicating these interventions and analyses in older populations, including those transitioning into young adults. Trial Registration. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03307226. (Am J Public Health. 2023;113(3):306–315. https://doi.org/10.2105/10.2105/AJPH.2022.307169 )

Empowerment · Mental health · Psychiatry · Psychological intervention · Public health · Randomized controlled trial · Adolescent and Pediatric Healthcare · Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health · Demography · Medicine · Poverty, Education, and Child Welfare · Psychology · Gerontology