Previously submitted to: JMIR Research Protocols (no longer under consideration since May 22, 2025)
Date Submitted: Sep 27, 2024
Open Peer Review Period: Nov 1, 2024 - Dec 27, 2024
(closed for review but you can still tweet)
NOTE: This is an unreviewed Preprint
Warning: This is a unreviewed preprint (What is a preprint?). Readers are warned that the document has not been peer-reviewed by expert/patient reviewers or an academic editor, may contain misleading claims, and is likely to undergo changes before final publication, if accepted, or may have been rejected/withdrawn (a note "no longer under consideration" will appear above).
Peer review me: Readers with interest and expertise are encouraged to sign up as peer-reviewer, if the paper is within an open peer-review period (in this case, a "Peer Review Me" button to sign up as reviewer is displayed above). All preprints currently open for review are listed here. Outside of the formal open peer-review period we encourage you to tweet about the preprint.
Citation: Please cite this preprint only for review purposes or for grant applications and CVs (if you are the author).
Final version: If our system detects a final peer-reviewed "version of record" (VoR) published in any journal, a link to that VoR will appear below. Readers are then encourage to cite the VoR instead of this preprint.
Settings: If you are the author, you can login and change the preprint display settings, but the preprint URL/DOI is supposed to be stable and citable, so it should not be removed once posted.
Submit: To post your own preprint, simply submit to any JMIR journal, and choose the appropriate settings to expose your submitted version as preprint.
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
Using a participatory approach to design and test the efficacy of peer-led m-health intervention on improving sexual health literacy and behavior among Adolescent Girls and Young Women in higher learning institutions in Tanzania; A study protocol
ABSTRACT
Background:
Higher Learning Institutions host many adolescents and young adults, particularly first-year students aged 18 to 24, who face heightened risks of HIV/AIDS, STIs, unplanned pregnancies, and unsafe abortions due to limited sexual education, gender norms, and economic disparities. In Tanzania, risky sexual behavior is prevalent among young people, with adolescent girls disproportionately affected. Despite the availability of Sexual and Reproductive Health services, inconsistent provision and privacy concerns limit access.
Objective:
This study will aim to (i) explore experiences of sexual and reproductive health (ii) assess the efficacy of a peer-led m-Health intervention on improving knowledge of preventive Sexual and Reproductive Health information, attitudes toward SRH services, and safe sexual behavior among adolescent girls and young women in higher learning institutions.
Methods:
The study will utilize a mixed-method exploratory design. It will begin with a qualitative study aimed at exploring experiences related to sexual and reproductive health among adolescent girls and young women in higher learning institutions in Tanzania. Subsequently, followed by a quantitative study, which will be conducted to implement and evaluate the mHealth intervention. A controlled quasi-experimental design will be employed to assess the efficacy of the mHealth intervention among adolescent girls and young women in higher learning institutions.
Results:
Data collection will be conducted from December 2024 to January 2025, it will start with a qualitative phase by exploring the experiences of sexual and reproductive health among adolescent girls and young women in higher learning institutions; followed by a quantitative phase, where the efficacy of the m-Health intervention on improving sexual health literacy and behavior will be assessed. Data will then be analyzed, and the findings are expected to be published in April 2025.
Conclusions:
Research indicates that adolescent girls and young women who are financially independent from their partners, along with those who have received sexual health education, tend to practice safe sex. Conversely, individuals exhibiting risky sexual behavior are noted to possess a positive attitude toward safe practices. Consequently, devising interventions informed by the viewpoints of young women can foster a sense of ownership among them, thus facilitating effective behavioral change.
Citation
Request queued. Please wait while the file is being generated. It may take some time.
Copyright
© The authors. All rights reserved. This is a privileged document currently under peer-review/community review (or an accepted/rejected manuscript). Authors have provided JMIR Publications with an exclusive license to publish this preprint on it's website for review and ahead-of-print citation purposes only. While the final peer-reviewed paper may be licensed under a cc-by license on publication, at this stage authors and publisher expressively prohibit redistribution of this draft paper other than for review purposes.