Dumisani Enricho Nkhoma1,2, Chia-Ping Lin1, Hexin Latumer Katengeza1, Charles Jenya Soko1, Wanda Estinfort1, Yao-Chin Wang3,4,5,6, Shing-Hwa Juan7, Wen-Shan Jian8, Usman Iqbal1,8,6. 1. Master Program in Global Health and Development Department, College of Public Health, Taipei Medical University, Daan District, Taipei 106, Taiwan. 2. Nkhata Bay District Hospital, Nkhata Bay District Health Office, P.O. Box 4, Mkondezi, Nkhata Bay, Malawi. 3. Department of Emergency, Min-Sheng General Hospital, Taoyuan District, Taoyuan 330, Taiwan. 4. Graduate Institute of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medicine Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Daan District, Taipei 106, Taiwan. 5. Graduate Institute of Injury Prevention and Control, College of Public Health, Taipei Medical University, Xinyi District, Taipei 106, Taiwan. 6. International Center for Health Information Technology (ICHIT), Taipei Medical University, Daan District, Taipei 106, Taiwan. 7. Department of Administration, Yuan's General Hospital, Lingya District, Kaohsiung 802, Taiwan. 8. PhD Program in Global Health and Health Security, College of Public Health, Taipei Medical University, Daan District, Taipei 106, Taiwan.
Abstract
Background: 21 million girls get pregnant every year. Many initiatives are empowering girls. Various studies have looked at girl empowerment, however, there is contradicting evidence, and even less literature from developing countries. Methods: We searched articles published between January 2000 to January 2019. We followed Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and registered our protocol on the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews PROSPERO (CRD42019117414). Nine articles were selected for review. Quality appraisal was done using separate tools for qualitative studies, cohort and cross-sectional studies and randomized control trials. Results: Eight studies included educational empowerment, four studies included community empowerment, three studies included economic empowerment, while two studies discussed policy empowerment. Three studies were of fair quality; two qualitative and one cross-sectional study were of high quality, while three studies had low quality. Discussion. Studies showed a favorable impact of girl empowerment on adolescent pregnancies and risky sexual behaviors. Education empowerment came through formal education or health systems such as in family planning clinics. Community empowerment was seen as crucial in girls' development, from interactions with parents to cultural practices. Economic empowerment was direct like cash transfer programs or indirect through benefits of economic growth. Policies such as contraceptive availability or compulsory school helped reduce pregnancies.
Background: 21 million girls get pregnant every year. Many initiatives are empowering girls. Various studies have looked at girl empowerment, however, there is contradicting evidence, and even less literature from developing countries. Methods: We searched articles published between January 2000 to January 2019. We followed Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and registered our protocol on the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews PROSPERO (CRD42019117414). Nine articles were selected for review. Quality appraisal was done using separate tools for qualitative studies, cohort and cross-sectional studies and randomized control trials. Results: Eight studies included educational empowerment, four studies included community empowerment, three studies included economic empowerment, while two studies discussed policy empowerment. Three studies were of fair quality; two qualitative and one cross-sectional study were of high quality, while three studies had low quality. Discussion. Studies showed a favorable impact of girl empowerment on adolescent pregnancies and risky sexual behaviors. Education empowerment came through formal education or health systems such as in family planning clinics. Community empowerment was seen as crucial in girls' development, from interactions with parents to cultural practices. Economic empowerment was direct like cash transfer programs or indirect through benefits of economic growth. Policies such as contraceptive availability or compulsory school helped reduce pregnancies.
Authors: Helen Elizabeth Denise Burchett; Dylan Kneale; Sally Griffin; Málica de Melo; Joelma Joaquim Picardo; Rebecca S French Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2022-09-16 Impact factor: 4.614