Evaluation of a youth-led participatory action research to address adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights issues in Senegal

ABSTRACT Participatory approaches are increasingly popular in public health, but remain little used to address adolescent health issues. However, adolescent participation in research has enormous potential for identifying solutions to health issues that concern them. In Senegal, a youth-led participatory action research (YPAR) project was implemented in four communities where teams of adolescents were trained to conduct a research project and identify solutions to address adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights (ASRHR) issues. This article presents the results of the project evaluation, which aimed to explore the potential of YPAR to address ASRHR issues and inform future YPAR projects. Observations and interviews were carried out during results dissemination meetings in each of the communities. The evaluation of the project demonstrated the potential of YPAR to identify relevant solutions, while promoting positive and meaningful adolescent participation. Despite some difficulties, such as community resistance, the youth researchers were able to successfully complete their research project, while developing their confidence and self-esteem. The adolescents were convinced that they could act as agents of positive social change. This project has shown that it is possible and relevant to involve adolescents in research projects, and that this approach has significant potential in global health.

[1]  B. Salami,et al.  Access to mental health for Black youths in Alberta. , 2021, Health promotion and chronic disease prevention in Canada : research, policy and practice.

[2]  Ahna Ballonoff Suleiman,et al.  Enhancing Human-Centered Design With Youth-Led Participatory Action Research Approaches for Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Programming , 2021, Health promotion practice.

[3]  Martha Bigelow,et al.  Lessons Learned in Implementing Youth and Parent Participatory Action Research in a School-Based Intervention , 2021, Progress in community health partnerships : research, education, and action.

[4]  B. Catlett,et al.  Feminist Activism and YPAR: Privileged Girls Interrupt Rape Culture , 2021, Violence against women.

[5]  R. Afifi,et al.  Youth Participatory Approaches and Health Equity: Conceptualization and Integrative Review. , 2020, American journal of community psychology.

[6]  Michelle Abraczinskas,et al.  Using Youth Participatory Action Research as a Health Intervention in Community Settings , 2018, Health promotion practice.

[7]  Nicole Zarrett,et al.  Youth Participatory Action Research for Health Equity: Increasing Youth Empowerment and Decreasing Physical Activity Access Inequities in Under-resourced Programs and Schools. , 2020, American journal of community psychology.

[8]  Emily J Ozer,et al.  Use of Research Evidence Generated by Youth: Conceptualization and Applications in Diverse U.S. K-12 Educational Settings. , 2020, American journal of community psychology.

[9]  M. Chinapaw,et al.  “Not Only Adults Can Make Good Decisions, We as Children Can Do That as Well” Evaluating the Process of the Youth-Led Participatory Action Research ‘Kids in Action’ , 2020, International journal of environmental research and public health.

[10]  Josephine D. Korchmaros,et al.  Youth Participatory Action Research for Youth Substance Use Prevention: A Systematic Review , 2019, Substance use & misuse.

[11]  M. Chinapaw,et al.  Co-designing obesity prevention interventions together with children: intervention mapping meets youth-led participatory action research , 2019, International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity.

[12]  Josephine D. Korchmaros,et al.  How the U.S.-Mexico border influences adolescent substance use: Youth participatory action research using photovoice. , 2019, The International journal on drug policy.

[13]  A. Lincoln,et al.  Evaluation of a Teen Dating Violence Prevention Intervention among Urban Middle-School Youth Using Youth Participatory Action Research: Lessons Learned from Start Strong Boston , 2018, Journal of Family Violence.

[14]  Kimberly A. Bender,et al.  A Systematic Review of Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) in the United States: Methodologies, Youth Outcomes, and Future Directions , 2018, Health education & behavior : the official publication of the Society for Public Health Education.

[15]  Moazzam Ali,et al.  Research gaps and emerging priorities in sexual and reproductive health in Africa and the eastern Mediterranean regions , 2018, Reproductive Health.

[16]  Brandy L. Simula.  Book Review: The Coding Manual for Qualitative Researchers, 3rd ed. , 2018 .

[17]  Emily J Ozer.  Youth‐Led Participatory Action Research: Overview and Potential for Enhancing Adolescent Development , 2017 .

[18]  V. Patel,et al.  Our future: a Lancet commission on adolescent health and wellbeing , 2016, The Lancet.

[19]  V. Chandra-Mouli,et al.  What Does Not Work in Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health: A Review of Evidence on Interventions Commonly Accepted as Best Practices , 2015, Global Health: Science and Practice.

[20]  K. Santhya,et al.  Sexual and reproductive health and rights of adolescent girls: Evidence from low- and middle-income countries , 2015, Global public health.

[21]  Jane Springett,et al.  Youth-Guided Youth Engagement: Participatory Action Research (PAR) With High-Risk, Marginalized Youth , 2014 .

[22]  Didier Jourdan,et al.  Santé de la reproduction des adolescents : les déterminants de l’implication des professionnels dans la prévention des maladies non transmissibles , 2010 .

[23]  Johnny Saldaña,et al.  The Coding Manual for Qualitative Researchers , 2009 .

[24]  K. Caelli,et al.  ‘Clear as Mud’: Toward Greater Clarity in Generic Qualitative Research , 2003 .

[25]  R. Brookman.  The age of "adolescence". , 1995, The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine.

[26]  Emily J Ozer,et al.  Adolescent Participation in Research: Innovation, rationale and next steps , 2017 .

[27]  L. Villa-Torres,et al.  Ensuring youth's right to participation and promotion of youth leadership in the development of sexual and reproductive health policies and programs. , 2015, The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine.

[28]  Marleen Temmerman,et al.  Twenty years after International Conference on Population and Development: where are we with adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights? , 2015, The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine.

[29]  D. Jourdan,et al.  [Adolescent reproductive health: determinants of professional role in the prevention of non-communicable disease]. , 2010, Global health promotion.

[30]  E. Afonso,et al.  [Sexuality in adolescence]. , 2001, Servir.