Communication of life skills to in-school adolescent girls with special reference to HIV/AIDS

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Date

2006-07

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Addis Ababa University

Abstract

Ethiopia, like many countries of the developing world, has a huge proportion of youth. Young people between the age of 10 – 24 years constitute one third of the population.. At the same time the country has one of the highest numbers of people living with HIV/AIDS in the world. It is an established fact that thee major route of transmission of HIV AIDS is unprotected sex. . As youth and specially adolescence (mainly 10 – 19 years of age) is a period of high developmental changes in physical, mental and social conditions. Specially the onset of strong sexual awareness and development renders them venerable to HIV AIDS as problems arise from lack of understanding and proper response to the changes and related emotional loads, peer pressure and lack of experience in the social system, in short lack of life skills. The fact that the highest HIV prevalence still occurs in the age group 15 – 24 years. Is strong evidence. The situation is even worse in the case of adolescent girls. The culturally deep entrenched gender inequality and the dependent socio economical standing of women and girls have deprived them of any chance to develop the life skills that would help them fight through life renders them the most vulnerable in everyway. This vulnerability, however, could be minimized if life skills development opportunities were provided with an appropriate communication strategy. In this study the Social Cognitive Theory (SCT), which describes a dynamic, ongoing process in which personal factors, environmental factors, and human behaviour influence one other to bring a behavioural change,.has been the basis for the investigation as it encompasses useful constructs that have proved to be successful predicting behavioural change among young people.. According to SCT, psychosocial life skills, which are related to behavior and social interaction, are essential to adapt skillful behaviors, which in turn help the adolescents protect themselves and enjoy life safely. Though the concept of life skills is not new in Ethiopia, the attention given to it by the, government, the community, and those working in the prevention of HIV AIDS, sill leaves a lot to desire. This is evident from the fact that the range of life skills adolescents possess at a skill level is very minimal as compared to their knowledge and awareness of it. . Furthermore, the fact that studies done on this issue and the local literature available on this issue are very minimal. In dealing with adolescents, schools hold a social position and that is where a large number of adolescents are found together at the same time and conveniently grouped more or less by level of development. The general objective of the study is to establish the role of communication in promoting life skills of in school adolescent girls in relation to HIV/AIDS The study was conducted in Addis Ababa Schools. The study population wee reached through the help of Addis Ababa Education bureau and the respective school administrations. Data was collected using a multistage probability sampling using and close-ended questionnaire, quantitatively and in-depth interview and focus group discussion, qualitatively. A total of 400 adolescent girls were surveyed. The age group level is almost equally distributed between 10 – 14 year olds (44.3%) and the 15 – 19 year olds (55.3%) The orthodox religion followers constitute 70.3% of the entire sample followed by Muslims 17.8%. Irrespective of their age, economic back ground, parents education level or the type of school they attend to, the adolescent girls showed that they are aware of the life skills and know how to avoid risk. However, their capacity to put this knowledge to use i.e. the life skills is very minimal. The major and preferred sources of life skills for the adolescents are their parents followed by their peers. The information and level of skill available in these sources is not even sufficient for them let alone to pass it to the needy adolescents. The school environment, which possesses huge structural advantages, is hugely underutilized. Further study is recommended to deeply investigate find out the effect of life skill communication and the methods and sources with the highest impact on them. Also to investigate and establish mechanisms that assure life skill development opportunities are provided to the adolescents and are reconfirmed and fostered in their homes, in their schools and in the community as well. The introductory part of this document gives the background and problem situation and of adolescents in general, and adolescent girls in particular, in Ethiopia in the context of the rampant HIV AID pandemic. The objective of the study and its limitations are also described here. In the second chapter extensive coverage is given to the description of adolescence in relation to HIV AIDS and life skills. In chapter three the methodology of the study is described Chapter four contains the results of the survey, focus group and indepth interview conducted regarding in school adolescent girls in Addis Ababa. In chapter five, the results are discussed with some detail. In the last chapter, chapter six, conclusions and recommendations are given. The survey questionnaire, the list of key informants with the leading questions for the interviews and some detailed findings have been annexed.

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Keywords

Communication of life skills

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