Making a difference in adult-child relationships: evidence from an adult-child communication intervention in Botswana, Malawi, and Mozambique.
Girls are vulnerable to HIV in part because the social systems in which they live have failed to protect them. This study evaluates a program aimed at strengthening adult-child relationships to reduce girls' vulnerability to HIV in Botswana, Malawi, and Mozambique. In addition to an extensive process evaluation, a cross-sectional post-intervention survey was conducted in the three countries. The total sample size was 1418 adolescent girls (ages 11-18). Bivariate and multilevel, multivariate analyses were conducted to assess the association between adult program exposure and adult-child relationship improvement. In Botswana, Malawi, and Mozambique, girls whose mothers and fathers participated in the program, as compared to those whose parents did not participate in the program, were significantly more likely to report that their relationships with their parents had improved. Research has shown the important role that adults can play in the mitigation of youth risk taking behavior.
Center for Communication Programs, Department of Health, Behavior & Society, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA; Fairhaven College, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA, USA. Electronic address: hschwand@jhsph.edu.
Hilary M
HM
Schwandt
Carol
C
Underwood
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001902:Botswana; D002648:Child; D003142:Communication; D055317:Evidence-Based Practice; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008295:Malawi; D008297:Male; D009073:Mozambique; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D015397:Program Evaluation; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
Adult–child communication; Adult–child relationships; Botswana; HIV; Malawi; Mozambique