Digital Commons Network^™

Transition To Marriage And Parenthood Among Youth In India, International Institute For Population Sciences (Iips), Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This Population Council policy brief documents the magnitude of early marriage and early childbearing in India and sheds light on young people’s marriage-related planning and preparedness for married life, and the nature of married life. While child marriage is particularly evident among young women, it is notable that significant proportions of young men too have married below the legal minimum age at marriage for males. Findings call for multi-pronged efforts to eliminate the practice of early marriage among young men and women, and to support newlywed young women. Ensuring that these programs reach young people and the influential adults in …

Meserete Hiwot ("Base Of Life"): Supporting Married Adolescents With Hiv Prevention And Reproductive Health In Rural Ethiopia, Annabel Erulkar, Aragaw Lamesgin, Eunice N. Muthengi

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

To better understand the lives of adolescents in rural Ethiopia, researchers conducted a survey of adolescents in Amhara Region. The study found that many girls experienced early, unwanted arranged marriages, resulting in early unwanted sexual initiation and pregnancy, as well as social isolation in new marital homes. Based on the findings of this study, the Population Council and the Ethiopian Ministry of Youth and Sports created a program to support girls who are married early, with a view to increasing their social networks, improving their ability to protect themselves from HIV/AIDS, and supporting their reproductive health. This program brief reports …

Ethiopia Young Adult Survey: A Study In Seven Regions, Annabel Erulkar, Abebaw Ferede, Worku Ambelu, Woldemariam Girma, Helen Amdemikael, Behailu Gebremedhin, Berhanu Legesse, Ayehualem Tameru, Messay Teferi

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This report details a survey in Ethiopia that provides a baseline for four new initiatives, including programs devoted to adolescent and youth health and development, gender-based violence, women’s/girls’ empowerment, and female genital cutting/mutilation. The Population Council research contributes to up-to-date and nuanced understandings of HIV behavior, gender issues, and reproductive health among young people in seven regions of Ethiopia. The survey findings underscore the differing experiences of boys and girls as well as the varying conditions in urban and rural areas of Ethiopia; tailored strategies are needed to reach rural boys, rural girls, urban boys, and urban girls. In addition, …

Building Programs To Address Child Marriage: The Berhane Hewan Experience In Ethiopia, Eunice N. Muthengi, Annabel Erulkar

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The development of a context-appropriate program to delay marriage in rural Ethiopia took place over many years and in stages. The program that ultimately became known as “Berhane Hewan” was developed by building an evidence base of understanding on the populations being served and developing partnerships between the Population Council and like-minded agencies with complementary expertise. The Berhane Hewan pilot demonstrated that significant impacts can be made on the social, educational, and health status of adolescent girls in a short period of time, through well designed and implemented support programs. However, high levels of exposure to all project components, make …

Survey Of Young People In Egypt (Sype) 2009—Preliminary Report, Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This document contains the Preliminary Report for SYPE 2009. Responding to a dearth of data on youth in Egypt, the Population Council conducted a comprehensive situation analysis of Egyptian adolescents and young people: the Survey of Young People in Egypt (SYPE) 2009, which covered a nationally representative sample of 15,029 young people aged 10–29. SYPE collected data on the five key life transitions of education, work, family formation; health; and civic and political participation. This preliminary report presents initial findings related to the principal issues covered in the survey. This report provides some of the preliminary findings from SYPE on …

Girl-Centered Program Design: A Toolkit To Develop, Strengthen And Expand Adolescent Girls Programs, Karen Austrian, Dennitah Ghati

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

"Girl-Centered Program Design: A Toolkit to Develop, Strengthen and Expand Adolescent Girls Programs" is a set of tools and guidelines for strengthening programs for adolescent girls in urban Kenya. Based on discussions from a 2010 meeting of the Kenya Adolescent Girls’ Brain Trust, hosted by the Binti Pamoja Center and the Population Council, the toolkit is written for those interested in working with adolescent girls ages 10–24. It can be used by anyone who is designing or running a program, writing a proposal to work with girls, or seeking innovative ideas on how to strengthen program activities. The toolkit has …

Youth In India: Situation And Needs 2006-2007—Executive Summary, Andhra Pradesh, International Institute For Population Sciences (Iips), Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This study, implemented by the International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai and the Population Council, New Delhi is the first-ever subnationally representative study conducted to identify key transitions experienced by married and unmarried youth in India. In recognition of the importance of investing in young people, several national policies and programs formulated since 2000 have underscored a commitment to addressing the multiple needs of this group in India. Effective implementation of policies and programs, however, has been handicapped by lack of evidence on young people’s situation and needs. This study focused on married and unmarried young women and unmarried young …

Youth In India: Situation And Needs 2006–2007, International Institute For Population Sciences (Iips), Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This report is the result of a subnational study undertaken by the International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai and the Population Council, New Delhi as part of a project to collect information on key transitions experienced by youth in India. The project was implemented in six states of India, namely, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu. The report offers a roadmap for programs and priorities that aim to address young people’s needs. More than 50,000 young people were interviewed in the study, providing a robust picture of youth in India and a wealth of evidence on almost …

The Adolescent Experience In-Depth: Using Data To Identify And Reach The Most Vulnerable Young People—Sierra Leone 2008, Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

“The Adolescent Experience In-Depth: Using Data to Identify and Reach the Most Vulnerable Young People: Sierra Leone 2008” is part of a series of Population Council guides that draw principally on data from the Demographic and Health Surveys to provide decisionmakers at all levels—from governments, nongovernmental organizations, and advocacy groups—with evidence on the situation of adolescent girls and boys and young women aged 10–24 years. The data are presented in graphs, tables, and maps (wherever possible), providing multiple formats to make the information accessible to a range of audiences. Section I is the Foreword. Section II offers brief technical notes …

The Adolescent Experience In-Depth: Using Data To Identify And Reach The Most Vulnerable Young People—Egypt 2008, Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

“The Adolescent Experience In-Depth: Using Data to Identify and Reach the Most Vulnerable Young People: Egypt 2008” is part of a series of Population Council guides that draw principally on data from the Demographic and Health Surveys to provide decisionmakers at all levels—from governments, nongovernmental organizations, and advocacy groups—with evidence on the situation of adolescent girls and boys and young women aged 10–24 years. The data are presented in graphs, tables, and maps (wherever possible), providing multiple formats to make the information accessible to a range of audiences. Section I is the Foreword. Section II offers brief technical notes specific …

Romance And Sex Before Marriage Among Young Women And Men In India, International Institute For Population Sciences (Iips), Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This policy brief was produced in association with the International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai (IIPS). Data was drawn from the Youth in India: Situation and Needs study to examine pre-marital partnerships and relationship among youth in India. Findings call for family life or sex education, and increased awareness and education of condom use.

Schooling And Conflict In Darfur: A Snapshot Of Basic Education Services For Displaced Children, Cynthia B. Lloyd, Safaa El-Kogali, Jenny Perlman Robinson, Johanna Rankin, Ali Rashed

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Schooling and Conflict in Darfur, a joint project of the Population Council and the Women's Refugee Commission, is a report based on a 2008 survey designed to provide a more accurate picture of the state of formal and non-formal education for displaced children of primary school age (6-14) in North and West Darfur. The findings are based on a scientifically selected sample of internally displaced persons (IDP) communities in North and West Darfur. The goal of the report is to provide donors, policymakers, and practitioners information to help plan and implement effective, targeted education programs for internally displaced children in …

Health And Social Consequences Of Marital Violence: A Synthesis Of Evidence From India, Shireen J. Jejeebhoy, K.G. Santhya, Rajib Acharya

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This review paper was produced with support from UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund), and synthesizes what is known about the health and social consequences of marital violence for women in India. The review focuses on sexual, reproductive and child health consequences, including contraceptive use, experience of symptoms of infection, pregnancy-related care, unintended pregnancy and abortion, fetal, perinatal and early childhood mortality; maternal and child nutrition; and mental health outcomes. It also reviews evidence of a range of social outcomes including substance use, women's autonomy and self-efficacy; and inter-generational effects (witnessing parental violence when growing up).

White Paper: Enhancing Adolescent Financial Capabilities Through Financial Education In Bangladesh, Sajeda Amin, Laila Rahman, Sigma Ainul, Ubaidur Rob, Bushra Zaman, Rinat Akter

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This white paper addresses a growing concern about the problems of financial exclusion of the poor. It is based on a scoping study and a pilot program providing financial education to adolescents in Bangladesh. The Population Council worked with BRAC and Underprivileged Children’s Educational Program (UCEP) to expand these life skills. The result and tools of the study inspired UCEP to commit introduction of financial literacy in 52 schools for the under privileged children from next year while BRAC expressed interest to accumulate resources and initiate discussions with their donors and consortium partners for gradually introducing the financial literacy in …

Ethiopia Gender Survey: A Study In Seven Regions, Annabel Erulkar, Abebaw Ferede, Worku Ambelu, Woldemariam Girma, Helen Amdemikael, Behailu Gebremedhin, Berhanu Legesse, Ayehualem Tameru, Messay Teferi

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

“Ethiopia Gender Survey: A Study in Seven Regions” is a 2009 population-based survey. Over 8,000 Ethiopian women aged 15 to 49 were interviewed to examine a better understanding of HIV behavior, gender issues and reproductive health in Ethiopia. The information serves as the baseline survey for four initiatives in Ethiopia related to adolescent health and development, gender-based violence, women’s empowerment, and female genital cutting/ mutilation.

Understanding Environmental Health Disparities Of Roma Populations In Romania, Jennifer L. Hall

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The Roma are the largest and most marginalized minority group of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) with the highest number residing in Romania. Their problems and struggles are multi-faceted and deeply rooted in a long history of discrimination and stigmatization. Over the years, many strategies have been developed and implemented across CEE, yet very few studies have addressed their environmental and occupational health issues. Moreover, because the vast majority of these studies have employed quantitative methodology, they have had the unfortunate effect of dehumanizing and devaluing the Roma people through scientific reductionism.

The purpose of this study was to gain …

Understanding Attitudes Toward People With Down Syndrome, Jill E. Pace, Mikyong Shin, Sonja A. Rasmussen

United States Public Health Resources

Understanding attitudes of the public toward people with Down syndrome is important because negative attitudes might create barriers to social integration, which can affect their success and quality of life. We used data from two 2008 U.S. surveys (HealthStyles© survey of adults 18 years or older and YouthStyles© survey of youth ages 9–18) that asked about attitudes toward people with Down syndrome, including attitudes toward educational and occupational inclusion and toward willingness to interact with people with Down syndrome. Results showed that many adults continue to hold negative attitudes toward people with Down syndrome: A quarter of respondents agreed that …

Socioeconomic And Environmental Causes For Respiratory Infection Death In Alaska Native Villages, Sarah Mcbeth

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

Objectives. This ecological study evaluates the association between community characteristics and death rates from pneumonia/influenza, tuberculosis, and infectious diseases in 196 Alaska Native villages.

Methods. Ecological variables studied included percentage of Natives in the population, age distribution, latitude, average household size, socioeconomic status, percentage of homes with complete plumbing and/or kitchens, type of heating fuel used, community alcohol restrictions, level of healthcare access, and residence in specific regions of Alaska. These data come from the 2000 U.S. Census, the Alaska Alcohol Beverage Control Board, and the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium. A stepwise analysis of variance using the Proc GLM …

Safe Choices: An Examination Of Contraceptive Choices Of The Patient Population Of Planned Parenthood Of Central Ohio, Chloe Williams

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

Objective: This study sought to evaluate the variation between racial groups and contraceptive methods chosen by women served by Planned Parenthood of Central Ohio (PPCO) in 2009 in order to better understand the issue of unintended pregnancy.

Methods: This two part study used administrative records provided by PPCO that included raw data for all women who were scheduled for an appointment to receive, or be consulted on contraception from January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2009 which included three PPCO clinic locations in Franklin County, Ohio. A chi-square analysis was performed with java-based mathematical software from the Math Beans Project …

Zoonotic Disease In Ohio: Surveillance, Preparation, And Response, Erik B. Balster

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

This paper examines the state of public health preparation and response capacity to zoonotic infectious disease in the state of Ohio. A comprehensive literature review of zoonotic disease emergence and re-emergence, the National Veterinary Stockpile (NVS), the One Health Initiative, emergency response, and Ohio policy was performed in conjunction with telephone interviews. This study shows that responsibilities and systems integral to disease preparedness, such as sentinel surveillance and reporting, vary significantly between two key departments: the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) and the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA). Consistency and standardization of agency, mirroring the One Health Initiative, must be …

The Use Of Narrative Fiction To Spread Hiv Information In Papua New Guinea, Trevor Cullen, Ruth Callaghan

Research outputs pre 2011

The nature of media coverage of HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) needs to vary in order to be sustained by newspapers—writing the same message, however worthy, loses impact over time. So an interesting innovation in the 2010 cover­age of HIV in Papua New Guinea (PNG) is the publication of a serialised fiction story in the Post-Courier . It is the story of Vavine, a young girl infected with HIV , who is forced to leave her village after her parents' deaths from AIDS . She keeps her infection secret but because of her circumstances, she is forced to work in a …

Bioethics And Biosecurity Education In China: Rise Of A Scientific Superpower., Barr S. Michael, Joy Yueyue Zhang

Book Chapters

This chapter explores ethics, education and the life sciences in China. It is based on work conducted by the authors in two separate but complimentary projects. Barr’s observations derive from interviews and discussions in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou with life scientists and policymakers in infectious-disease hospitals, university-research labs, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Ministry of Health. Zhang’s study focused on China’s governance of stem-cell research and involved interviews with scientists, ethicists and policymakers at more than 25 sites across China. Below, we set the context by describing the role of science in China’s quest to become a leading …

Educating Adolescents About Puberty: Are We Missing Something?, Hatim A. Omar

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Adolescents undergo significant physical and cognitive changes during their pubertal development. These changes contribute to and impact their future development. Educating adolescents at an early age about their expected development decreases the possible anxiety associated with this period of life and also helps adolescents make better choices in regards to their sexuality. In order to assess the degree of education regarding pubertal development and sexuality, we conducted a survey of late adolescents (median age 19 years) and parents of adolescents. A total of 409 adolescents (237 females, 172 males) and 124 parents completed the survey. 14.4% of teens (36.6% of …

Étude Exploratoire Des Facteurs De La Charge De Travail Ayant Un Impact Sur La Santé Et La Sécurité : Étude De Cas Dans Le Secteur Des Services, Pierre-Sébastien Fournier, Sylvie Montreuil, Jean-Pierre Brun, Caroline Bilodeau, Julie Villa

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Click here for the English version of this report

Les nouvelles formes d’organisation du travail (innovations technologiques, nouvelles politiques de gestion des ressources humaines, formes innovantes d’organisation, etc.) pourraient avoir des conséquences négatives pour les individus (fatigue, stress chronique, troubles musculo-squelettiques…) et pour les établissements (absentéisme, roulement de personnel…). La documentation scientifique désigne la charge de travail comme dénominateur commun en l’occurrence, sauf que les évidences sur la conceptualisation de ce phénomène sont limitées et ne tiennent pas compte de sa complexité. Pour le définir et le caractériser, les chercheurs ont voulu déterminer les dimensions ainsi que la dynamique et …

Les Effets D'Un Entraînement Physique Pré-Saison Sur Le Travail Et La Sécurité Des Débroussailleurs : Étude De Faisabilité D'Une Approche De Mesure, Daniel Imbeau, Philippe-Antoine Dubé, Denise Dubeau, Luc Lebel

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Depuis quelques années, des intervenants du Bas-St-Laurent (BSL) ont développé et mis en application un Programme d'entraînement physique pour les travailleurs forestiers (PEPTF). Le PEPTF vise à améliorer leur condition physique avant le début de la saison de travail afin de leur faciliter le retour au travail et éventuellement de réduire les accidents du travail et les TMS. Des travaux récents montrent que les débroussailleurs sont soumis à une charge de travail physique considérée comme lourde (ex., selon le RSST) durant toute la saison des travaux qui dure approximativement 6 mois, soit de mai à octobre. Pour effectuer un tel …

Stratégies De Diagnostic De L'Exposition Des Travailleurs Aux Substances Chimiques, Daniel Drolet, Nicole Goyer, Brigitte Roberge, Jérôme Lavoué, Mathieu Coulombe, André Dufresne

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Toute intervention en hygiène du travail liée à une exposition à des substances chimiques vise à protéger, éventuellement s’il y a lieu, la santé et l’intégrité physique des travailleurs. Pour atteindre cet objectif, deux conditions préalables existent : (1) il est possible d’identifier, d’évaluer et de maîtriser les risques auxquels peuvent être exposés les travailleurs et ce, de façon efficace (protéger l’ensemble des travailleurs) et efficiente (avec le minimum de ressources) (2) un niveau acceptable pour la protection de la santé a été défini pour chacun des risques identifiés.

Traditionnellement, la stratégie d’évaluation du risque chimique repose sur la mesure …

Les Horaires Rotatifs Chez Les Policiers : Étude Des Approches Préventives Complémentaires De Réduction De La Fatigue, Diane B. Boivin, Geneviève M. Tremblay, Philippe Boudreau

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Dans les pays industrialisés, entre 15-30% des travailleurs opèrent en dehors des heures conventionnelles. Cette situation affecte environ 750 000 travailleurs québécois. La privation aiguë et chronique de sommeil, combinée à une perturbation de l’harmonie temporelle entre l’horloge biologique interne (appelée « oscillateur circadien ») et l’horaire de travail augmente significativement le risque d’accident en plus de réduire la productivité des travailleurs.

De plus, les travailleurs postés présentent un risque accru de développer plusieurs maladies chroniques telles que des maladies cardiovasculaires, un syndrome métabolique, des troubles digestifs, divers cancers et des maladies mentales. Il est donc urgent de développer des …

Prévention De La Violence Entre Membres D’Une Même Organisation De Travail : Évaluation D’Une Intervention Participative, Julie Dussault, Nathalie Jauvin, Michel Vézina, Renée Bourbonnais

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Click here for the English version of this report

La violence au travail, particulièrement entre des membres d'une même organisation, a des répercussions sur la santé et la sécurité du personnel. Bien que le Québec se soit doté d'un cadre législatif pour contrer ce phénomène, on connaît peu l'utilité et l'efficacité des moyens servant à le prévenir. Les auteurs ont mené une recherche auprès d'agents de services correctionnels de trois établissements de détention, chez qui les chercheurs avaient préalablement démontré que des facteurs organisationnels étaient associés à cette problématique. Cette recherche reposait sur une démarche participative qu’ils ont systématiquement évaluée …

Étude De La Transmission Sonore À Travers Les Protecteurs Auditifs Et Application D’Une Méthode Pour Évaluer Leur Efficacité En Milieu De Travail. Partie 1 : Étude Terrain, Hugues Nélisse, Marc-André Gaudreau, Jérôme Boutin, Frédéric Laville, Jérémie Voix

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Le projet « Étude de la transmission sonore à travers les protecteurs auditifs et application d’une méthode pour évaluer leur efficacité effective en milieu de travail » comptait principalement deux parties : i) une étude terrain portant sur la mesure de l’efficacité effective des protecteurs auditifs en milieu de travail; ii) une étude exploratoire visant à examiner le potentiel de la modélisation par éléments finis à traiter le problème de la transmission sonore à travers les protecteurs auditifs. Compte tenu de l’ampleur des travaux effectués et de la quantité d’information à présenter, un rapport formé de deux documents distincts est …

Conditions Et Processus De Changement Lors D’Interventions Externes En Sst : Élaboration D’Outils Pour Les Praticiens, Geneviève Baril-Gingras, Marie Bellemare, Pierre Poulin, Julie Ross

Rapports de recherche scientifique

L’intervention externe en santé et en sécurité du travail (SST) a une contribution importante à l’organisation de la prévention à l’échelle des lieux de travail. De ce fait, la compréhension des facteurs influençant les effets des interventions en SST est devenue une préoccupation importante au cours de la dernière décennie. Cependant, les résultats des études à ce sujet sont généralement peu accessibles aux intervenants et donc difficilement transférés dans leur pratique. La définition des problèmes qui donnent lieu à des interventions s’appuie sur les connaissances en médecine du travail, en hygiène du travail, en ergonomie, en génie, etc. Toutefois, les …