African Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine | 13 November 2001
Adoption and Impact of School-Based Adolescent Reproductive Health Education Programmes in Urban South African Schools: AIntervention Study
K, g, o, s, i, w, e, M, o, t, s, h, e, y, a
Abstract
Adolescent reproductive health education in urban South African schools is a critical area for public health intervention. A mixed-methods approach was employed, including pre- and post-programme surveys to measure knowledge changes (mean ± SD: 25% improvement) and qualitative interviews for behaviour analysis. Ethical approval was obtained from the local education authorities and institutional review boards. There was a significant increase in students' knowledge about reproductive health topics following the implementation of educational programmes, with a mean score improvement of 25%. Qualitative data indicated positive changes in student attitudes towards discussing sexual health openly. The adoption rates and impact analysis suggest that targeted interventions can effectively enhance adolescent reproductive health education outcomes in urban South African schools. Further research should explore the sustainability of these programmes over time, while ongoing support is crucial to maintain positive behaviour changes among students. Treatment effect was estimated with $\text{logit}(p<em>i)=\beta</em>0+\beta^\top X_i$, and uncertainty reported using confidence-interval based inference.