Family, Life Course, and Society Commons^™

Safe And Smart Savings Products For Vulnerable Adolescent Girls In Kenya And Uganda: Evaluation Report, Karen Austrian, Eunice N. Muthengi

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The decision to engage in the development of girl-friendly savings accounts was made as part of the Population Council’s work with adolescent girls in Kenya. In June 2008 the Council and MicroSave Consulting started the Safe and Smart Savings Products for Vulnerable Adolescent Girls. Based on the market research and prior experience with developing programs for adolescent girls, a product concept for a group-based savings account was developed, in which the group model was used to address the legal constraints of minors not being able to hold individual accounts. In Kenya and Uganda, two financial institutions were identified, and the …

Policy Brief: Adolescent Girls And Migration In The Developing World, Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

When a migrant girl is successful, she creates a ripple effect through generations: families and future children will be better off because of her ability to finish school, get a job, and stay healthy. Despite the positive potential of migration for adolescent girls, migrant girls are largely ignored in policy and programs designed to reach migrants and adolescents. Because of their age and gender, migrant girls are especially vulnerable to risks such as exploitative employment. If these girls arrive at their destination and settle in safely, their diligence can enable them to capitalize on new opportunities and become productive, contributing …

Designing, Implementing, And Evaluating A Targeted, Evidence-Based Intervention For A Vulnerable Subgroup Of Girls: A Case Study Of The Filles Éveillées ("Girls Awakened") Pilot Program For Migrant Adolescent Girls In Domestic Service In Urban Burkina Faso, Sarah Engebretsen

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Investing in adolescent girls is crucial in the developing world where a large and growing proportion of the population is under the age of 24. Research has demonstrated that adolescent girls face serious challenges around the time of puberty including withdrawal from (and lack of safety in) public spaces, loss of peers, leaving school, pressure for marriage or liaisons as livelihood strategies, and internalization of harmful gender norms. Investments need to be made at critical moments in early adolescence. While policymakers and development professionals have acknowledged the need to make investments in the poorest girls in the poorest communities early …

Follow-Up Study Of Migrant Adolescent Girls In Domestic Service Who Participated In The First Cohort Of The Filles Éveillées ("Girls Awakened") Program, Sarah Engebretsen

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Circular migration (from rural to urban areas and back) among adolescents is common throughout West Africa, with the principle motivation being the search for economic opportunities, including domestic work. The evidence base on adolescent migration and domestic work is fairly thin. Evidence on programmatic effectiveness generally ends at program completion and does not follow adolescents over time. The current study follows a subsample of migrant adolescent girls in domestic service in urban Burkina Faso who participated in the first cohort of the Filles Éveillées (Girls Awakened) pilot program. Filles Éveillées was designed to provide migrant girls in domestic service with …

The Adolescent Girls Empowerment Program: Lessons Learned From The Pilot Test Program, Karen Austrian, Natalie Jackson Hachonda, Paul C. Hewett

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Adolescent girls in Zambia face a range of risks and vulnerabilities that compromise their healthy development into young women, and lack the social, health, and economic assets to mitigate these risks. The issues that girls are confronted with include high rates of gender-based violence, unsafe sex that puts them at risk for unwanted pregnancy and HIV infection, school dropout, lack of economic resources and income-generating options, and lack of agency and participation. The Adolescent Girls Empowerment Program (AGEP) has three major components: safe spaces groups in which girls meet once a week over the course of two years for training …

Comprendre La Vie Des Adolescentes Avant Et Après La Migration: Enquête Réalisée Sur Les Sites D'Origine Auprès D'Anciennes Filles Migrantes Employées Comme Aide-Ménagères, Gisele Kaboré

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Le Population Council met en œuvre un projet en direction des adolescentes migrantes travaillant comme employées de maison dans les zones urbaines au Burkina Faso (Ouagadougou et Bobo-Dioulasso). Ce programme, dénommé «Filles Éveillées», a pour objectif d’élargir les réseaux sociaux des filles et de développer leurs compétences en capacités financières, en santé et hygiène, santé de la reproduction et en compétences de la vie courante. Il offre également aux bénéficiaires l’opportunité d’accéder à l’alphabétisation. Dans un effort d’améliorer ce programme en ville, il s’est avéré opportun de mieux comprendre les circonstances de la vie des adolescentes dans le village avant …

Évaluation De Filles Éveillées : Programme Pilote Pour Adolescentes Migrantes Employées De Maison, Sarah Engebretsen

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Le programme «Filles Éveillées» a été conçu dans le but d’accroître les réseaux sociaux et de développer les compétences des adolescentes migrantes employées de maison au Burkina Faso urbain. Il a fait l’objet de deux cycles pilotes: en 2011-2012 à Bobo-Dioulasso, puis en 2012-2013 à Ouagadougou et Bobo-Dioulasso. Une évaluation de processus a été effectuée entre les deux cycles avant d’évaluer l’efficacité du programme et d’y proposer les améliorations de structure, mise en œuvre et contenu jugées utiles avant le lancement de la seconde cohorte. Cette évaluation a donné lieu aux changements suivants: simplification du contenu programmatique sur la santé …

Gendered Divisions Of Fertility Work: Socioeconomic Predictors Of Female Versus Male Sterilization, Andrea Bertotti

Sociology & Criminology Faculty Research

Domestic labor researchers have examined a multitude of duties disproportionately performed by women, yet the responsibility associated with navigating a couple's fertility—fertility work—has been overlooked. Using data from the 2006–2010 National Survey of Family Growth (N = 1,415), the author examined how racial and socioeconomic factors affect the division of contraceptive fertility work among married and cohabiting women who rely on either their partners' vasectomies or their own sterilizations. Drawing theoretical connections between fertility work and housework, resource- and gender-based perspectives were used to assess whether women's or their partners' characteristics are stronger predictors of sterilization type, and whether women's …

Conception, Mise En Oeuvre Et Évaluation D'Une Intervention Factuelle Ciblée Au Profit D'Un Sous-Groupe De Filles Vulnérables : Étude De Cas Du Programme Pilote Filles Éveillées Pour Adolescentes Migrantes Employées De Maison Au Burkina Faso Urbain, Sarah Engebretsen

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Il est crucial d’investir dans les adolescentes du monde en développement, où une proportion déjà importante et grandissante de la population tombe dans la catégorie des moins de 24 ans. La recherche a démontré que les défis posés aux filles sont particulièrement lourds aux alentours de la puberté, qu’il s’agisse de l’exclusion des espaces publics (et du manque de sécurité dans ceux accessibles), de la perte du réseau de pairs, de la déscolarisation, de la pression du mariage ou de liaisons comme stratégies de subsistance, ou encore de l’intériorisation de normes de genre préjudiciables. Les investissements consentis doivent l’être aux …

Evaluation Of Filles Eveillees ("Girls Awakened"): A Pilot Program For Migrant Adolescent Girls In Domestic Service, Sarah Engebretsen

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The Filles Éveillées (Girls Awakened) program was designed to increase social networks and skill building among migrant adolescent girls in domestic service in urban Burkina Faso. The program was piloted over two cycles: 2011–2012 in Bobo Dioulasso, and 2012–2013 in Ouagadougou and Bobo Dioulasso. According to this evaluation report, process evaluation was conducted between the two cycles to assess program effectiveness and suggest improvements for program structure, implementation, and content before launching the second cohort. Changes resulting from this process evaluation included simplifying the sexual and reproductive health program content; reordering the modules and introducing financial capabilities earlier so that …

Girls On The Move: Adolescent Girls & Migration In The Developing World, Miriam Temin, Mark R. Montgomery, Sarah Engebretsen, Kathryn M. Barker

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Adolescent girls in developing countries are migrating to urban areas in ever greater numbers. While migration can be risky, for the majority of girls, migration can increase opportunities and economic stability and provide them with the autonomy to make decisions about their lives. Preventing the worst outcomes and helping girls succeed are essential to unlocking the benefits of migration. When migrant girls can take advantage of the benefits, they can be a powerful force for change in the developing world—improving lives and reducing poverty in their communities and countries. This Girls Count report examines the social and economic determinants of …

The Adolescent Girls Vulnerability Index: Guiding Strategic Investment In Uganda, Sajeda Amin, Karen Austrian, Michelle Chau, Kimberly Glazer, Eric P. Green, David Stewart, Marie Stoner

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Adolescence (from the ages of 10 to 19 years) is a critical stage of human development during which children experience rapid social, physical, psychological, and emotional changes on the path from childhood to adulthood. The decisions that are made during this period of life affect not only the individual well-being of young people, but also the well-being of the entire society. The Adolescent Girls Multilevel Vulnerability Index (AGI) was developed based on a growing recognition of the need to channel resources to vital—yet highly vulnerable and vastly underserved—populations of adolescent girls in Uganda specifically, and the East and Southern Africa …

Étude De Suivi Des Adolescentes Migrantes Employées De Maison Ayant Participé À La Première Cohorte Du Programme Filles Éveillées, Sarah Engebretsen

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

La migration circulaire (du milieu rural au milieu urbain et retour), est courante parmi les adolescents et adolescentes d'Afrique occidentale, la principale motivation étant la quête de débouchés économiques, y compris le travail domestique. Les données d’efficacité programmatique disponibles s’interrompent généralement au moment de la conclusion des programmes, sans suivi des adolescents à plus longue échéance. Cette étude suit un sous-échantillon d'adolescentes migrantes employées de maison au Burkina Faso après leur participation à la première cohorte du programme pilote Filles Éveillées. Ce programme a été conçu pour offrir aux filles migrantes employées de maison l’occasion de renforcer leurs réseaux sociaux …

Fp2020: A Research Roadmap, Population Council

Reproductive Health

The global community came together in July 2012 in pursuit of an ambitious yet essential goal: ensuring that 120 million additional women and girls have access to effective family planning information and services by 2020. National governments, civil society, and the private sector resolved to tackle the numerous supply and demand barriers that prevent many women from using contraceptives. Donors committed $2.6 billion in new funding to support these efforts, matched by pledges from many developing-country governments. To reap the benefits of family planning, clients must have easy access to a wide range of affordable contraceptive methods through multiple service …

Mainstreaming Emergency Contraception In Developing Countries: A Toolkit For Policymakers And Service Providers, Wilson Liambila, Saumya Ramarao, Joyce Wanderi Maina, Mary W. Gathitu

Reproductive Health

In late 2006, the Kenyan Ministry of Health (MOH), the Population Council, and Population Services International (PSI) launched an initiative to mainstream emergency contraception (EC) in Kenya. The initiative included a core set of activities aimed at improving overall awareness of EC across the country and strengthening the quality of EC services in both the public and private sectors. It was intended to serve as a model for other countries interested in improving access to EC, and to generate in-depth knowledge on EC program strategies and utilization characteristics in sub-Saharan Africa. The MOH drew lessons and experiences from the initiative …

The Ticking Of The “Biological Clock”: Worry About Future Fertility In Nulliparous Women, Karen E. Kersting

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Title: The Ticking of the “Biological Clock”: Worry about Future Fertility in Nulliparous Women

By: Karen Kersting, M.A., M.S.

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Virginia Commonwealth University, 2013.

Major Director: Kathleen M. Ingram, J.D., Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Psychology

Department of Psychology

Modern women are waiting until later in their lives to have children than women of previous generations, a trend influenced by a number of factors including financial stability, dating norms, and career goals and responsibilities. As women age, their fertility may decline …

Blood Lead Levels In Nevada Children, Arthur F. Di Salvo, Terry R. Hall

Nevada Journal of Public Health

The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of plumbism in children one to six years of age in Nevada. During a four-year period from 1992 – 1996, 10,700 children were screened for evidence of blood lead intoxication. The capillary specimens were analyzed by atomic absorption spectrometry. All children with a lead level => 10 ug/L were retested using venous blood. Ninety three percent of the children had blood lead levels < 10 µg/dL

Filling The Gap: An Examination Of Hiv/Aids Treatment And Prevention At Uganda Cares Masaka, Andrew Robert Mcasey

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

A six week internship was conducted at Uganda Cares Masaka, a HIV/AIDS treatment organization, to learn about the development issues surrounding the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The internship was aimed at gaining practical experience at an HIV/AIDS clinic to learn about the challenges faced and the strategies used by Uganda Cares as wells as the effectiveness of their strategies. Uganda Cares represents a collaborative relationship between the private, international HIV treatment and advocacy group, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), and the public Ministry of Health (MOH) in Uganda. A final objective of the internship was to gain an inside perspective on this …

African American And Non-Hispanic White Births In Enhanced Prenatal Care Programs And Wic, Monica Cain

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

North Carolina uses Maternity Care Coordination (MCC), an enhanced prenatal care program, to improve birth outcomes for high risk women. The WIC program provides similar services to achieve the same goal. Women in North Carolina Medicaid can choose to participate in either, both, or neither the MCC and WIC programs. The study compares the percentages of low birth weight (LBW)—less than 2500 grams—births and maternal risk characteristics of women: (1) participating in the MCC program only, (2) participating in WIC only, or (3) participating in both programs, to those women who receive conventional Medicaid prenatal care. The analysis is further …

The Long-Term Impact Of War On Health And Wellbeing In Northern Vietnam: Some Glimpses From A Recent Survey, Bussarawan Teerawichitchainan, Kim Korinek

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

War is considered one of the most intransigent obstacles to development; yet, the long-run effects of war on individual health have rarely been examined in the context of developing countries. Based on unique data recently collected as a pilot follow-up to the Vietnam Longitudinal Survey, this study examines health status of northern Vietnamese war cohorts (those who entered adulthood during the Vietnam War and now represent Vietnam’s older-adult population). To ascertain whether and how war impacts old-age physical and mental health, we compare multi-dimensional measures of health among war survivors, including civilians, combatants, noncombatants, and nonveterans involved in militia activities. …

Evaluating “Not In Mama's Kitchen” Second-Hand Smoke Campaign In Georgia, Jonathan B. Vangeest, Verna L. Welch

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

In 2003-2005, the Association of Black Cardiologists, Inc. initiated the Not in Mama’s Kitchen (NIMK) second-hand smoke (SHS) prevention campaign in Georgia as part of their effort to reduce exposure to SHS in African American communities statewide. This initiative was evaluated using baseline data from pledge cards as well as data from a self-administered mail survey of 1,000 campaign participants. 14,770 Georgians participated in NIMK, signing pledges to make their homes and cars smoke free. Majorities of those surveyed followed through with their pledge, banning tobacco use in their homes (76.1%) and cars (80.2%). The program was cited by 65.4% …

African American Adults’ Experiences With The Health Care System: In Their Own Words, Keri A. Jupka, Nancy L. Weaver, Vetta L. Sanders-Thompson, Nicole M. Caito, Matthew W. Kreuter

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

African Americans suffer a disproportionate burden of death and illness from a number of different chronic diseases. Inequalities in health care practices and poor patient and provider communication between African American patients and health care professionals contribute to these disparities. We describe findings from focus groups with 79 urban African Americans in which the participants discussed their interactions with the healthcare system as well as beliefs and opinions of the healthcare system and professionals. Analysis revealed five major themes: (1) historical and contextual foundations; (2) interpersonal experiences with physicians and other health care workers; (3) discrimination; (4) trust, opinions and …

Pastors’ Influence On Research-Based Health Programs In Church Settings, Shirley M. Timmons

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Churches, in the United States, are recognized essential players in addressing our mounting health and social service needs. Yet, even though they implement a relatively large number of programs, few are research-based. Focus groups were conducted with pastors from 11 Baptist churches in a small Southeastern town to explore factors that influence the implementation of research-based health programs. Transcripts were coded for domains resulting in four themes: congregant needs, shared programming ethics, common understanding of programming processes, and care for the church and congregation. Pastors value research and seek church-based programs that enhance the health of congregants. Yet, future study …

Differential Effects Of Race And Poverty On Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions, Farrukh B. Hakeem, Daniel L. Howard, Timothy S. Carey, Yhenneko J. Taylor

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

This study is a continuation of an earlier study that examined hospitalization rates for ambulatory care sensitive (ACS) conditions, as a proxy for quality of care, and found evidence of a racial disparity among African American and White Medicare beneficiaries. The current study sought to determine whether neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES) explained this disparity. Differences in rates of ACS hospitalizations by race were assessed using Cochran-Mantel Haenszel tests and Poisson regression. Unadjusted rate ratios for ACS hospitalization for African Americans vs. Whites were found to be higher in low poverty areas (rate ratio (RR)=1.13; 95% CI (1.08, 1.17)) than in …

Race/Ethnicity As A Risk Factor Of Mother To Child Transmission Among Hiv Infected Mothers, Wei Yang, Fares Qeadan, Mona L. Brown, Michelle Chino, Scott Hall, Mary Guinan

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Objectives: African American women, living with HIV, exhibit a higher percentage of giving birth as compared to other race/ethnicity groups. The aim of this study is to understand the apparent black and non-black differences (health disparities) among the HIV Infected Mothers group and examine whether race/ethnicity can explain the high variation in different prenatal and HIV mother-to-child-transmission (MTCT) risk factors.

Methods: Data-Linkage was conducted on all women HIV+ cases, who delivered a child during the time period and reported to the Nevada state HIV with the live birth registries. Demographic and social data, separated into black and Non-black groups, were …

Curative Care As The Access Point To Rural Social Transformation A Case Study Of The Comprehensive Rural Health Project, Nancy Liu

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Health inequities based on geographic differences and between rural and urban populations in modern India demonstrate the stark differences in health access and community development throughout the country. More than 70% of the Indian population lives in rural areas, and yet a greater proportion of health care spending is devoted to urban populations. In 2004-5, 29.2% of both central and state public expenditures were allocated to urban allopathic services while 11.8% went to rural allopathic services (Balarajan, Selvaraj, and Subramanian 2011, 508). There are more than twice as many government beds in urban than in rural areas and geographic distribution …

Access To Healthcare For The Poor: Will The Affordable Care Act Address Income-Related Health Disparities In The United States?, Sonya Fabricant

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Background: Low-income populations live shorter and less healthy lives in the United States due to a complexity of social, environmental and behavioral factors. These populations also face significant barriers in accessing health services. In 2010, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) passed, marking the first major reform of the American healthcare system since the 1960s. This paper evaluates its potential to address health disparities through changes to medical care delivery. Methodology: Results were compiled from government documents, reports from research institutes, journal articles, and an expert interview. A section-analysis was also performed, evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of …

Research Brief: "Military Service And (Dis) Continuity In The Life Course: Evidence On Dis- Advantage And Mortality From The Health And Retirement Study And The Study Of Assets And Health Dynamics Among The Oldest-Old", Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This brief is about influence of military service on later-life mortality among veterans. In policy and practice, programs should provide more services for African American veterans whose fathers had a lower education, and policies should focus on employment status, income, health conditions, smoking habits, and obesity when addressing veteran mortality likelihood. Suggestions for future research include broadening the study's sample, incorporating length of service and historical context of service into the study, and expanding the number of variables studied.

Maintaining Friendships In Early Stage Dementia: Factors To Consider, Phyllis Braudy Harris

Sociology

Friendships and the importance of social connectiveness play a critical role in aging well, regardless of gender, race, social class, or impairment. Yet, dementia takes its toll on social relationships, and many friends withdraw and ‘disappear’, because they can no longer bear to see the changes that are taking place in their diagnosed friend. The dementia care literature documents this abandonment; however, this study examines the opposite occurrence. In order to understand more clearly the role of long-term friendships and how such friendships remain and continue, despite the diagnosis of dementia, this qualitative study examines in depth eight people in …

Using Capture-Recapture Methodology For Enumerating Most-At-Risk Populations (Marps), Population Council

HIV and AIDS

Populations at higher risk for HIV infection are often the most difficult to reach and this is particularly true of men who have sex with men (MSM), injecting drug users, and female sex workers in sub-Saharan Africa. These subpopulations are frequently marginalized by society because of the illicit and/or illegal activities they engage in. Estimating the size of hard-to-reach populations is important to effectively plan, implement, monitor, and evaluate HIV and AIDS prevention and care programs. “Capture-recapture” is a method of estimating the prevalence of a trait in a population or more simply it’s a method that provides a good …