Barriers and facilitators regarding the implementation of policies and programmes aimed at reducing adolescent pregnancy in Ghana: an exploratory qualitative study
Objectives This study explored the perceived barriers and facilitators regarding the implementation of policies and programmes aimed at reducing adolescent pregnancy among health and education professionals (‘professionals’), grassroots workers and adolescent girls in Ghana.Design and setting We emp...
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BMJ Publishing Group
2022-07-01
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| Series: | BMJ Open |
| Online Access: | https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/7/e060576.full |
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| author | Melissa Kang Bright Opoku Ahinkorah Lin Perry Fiona Brooks |
| author_facet | Melissa Kang Bright Opoku Ahinkorah Lin Perry Fiona Brooks |
| author_sort | Melissa Kang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objectives This study explored the perceived barriers and facilitators regarding the implementation of policies and programmes aimed at reducing adolescent pregnancy among health and education professionals (‘professionals’), grassroots workers and adolescent girls in Ghana.Design and setting We employed an exploratory qualitative study design involving interviews with professionals, grassroots workers and adolescent girls in the Central Region of Ghana.Participants This study involved 15 professionals employed in government or non-governmental organisations, 15 grassroots workers and 51 pregnant/parenting and non-pregnant adolescent girls.Data analysis Thematic analysis was conducted deductively using the ecological framework for understanding effective implementation.Results Eighteen themes mapped to the five domains of the ecological framework emerged. Perceived barriers included gender inequality, family poverty, stigma, community support for early childbearing and cohabitation, inadequate data systems, lack of collaboration between stakeholders and lack of political will. Effective implementation of community by-laws, youth involvement, use of available data, and collaboration and effective coordination between stakeholders were the perceived facilitators.Conclusion Political leaders and community members should be actively engaged in the implementation of adolescent sexual and reproductive health policies and programmes. Gender empowerment programmes such as education and training of adolescent girls should be implemented and strengthened at both the community and national levels. Community members should be sensitised on the negative effects of norms that support child marriage, gender-based violence and early childbearing. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-741a4dc8f97744009c6da3a53442b312 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2044-6055 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2022-07-01 |
| publisher | BMJ Publishing Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMJ Open |
| spelling | doaj-art-741a4dc8f97744009c6da3a53442b3122025-01-31T07:30:10ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552022-07-0112710.1136/bmjopen-2021-060576Barriers and facilitators regarding the implementation of policies and programmes aimed at reducing adolescent pregnancy in Ghana: an exploratory qualitative studyMelissa Kang0Bright Opoku Ahinkorah1Lin Perry2Fiona Brooks3School of Public Health, Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, AustraliaFaculty of Health, The Australian Centre for Public and Population Health Research, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, AustraliaSchool of Public Health, Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, AustraliaAuckland University of Technology, Auckland, New ZealandObjectives This study explored the perceived barriers and facilitators regarding the implementation of policies and programmes aimed at reducing adolescent pregnancy among health and education professionals (‘professionals’), grassroots workers and adolescent girls in Ghana.Design and setting We employed an exploratory qualitative study design involving interviews with professionals, grassroots workers and adolescent girls in the Central Region of Ghana.Participants This study involved 15 professionals employed in government or non-governmental organisations, 15 grassroots workers and 51 pregnant/parenting and non-pregnant adolescent girls.Data analysis Thematic analysis was conducted deductively using the ecological framework for understanding effective implementation.Results Eighteen themes mapped to the five domains of the ecological framework emerged. Perceived barriers included gender inequality, family poverty, stigma, community support for early childbearing and cohabitation, inadequate data systems, lack of collaboration between stakeholders and lack of political will. Effective implementation of community by-laws, youth involvement, use of available data, and collaboration and effective coordination between stakeholders were the perceived facilitators.Conclusion Political leaders and community members should be actively engaged in the implementation of adolescent sexual and reproductive health policies and programmes. Gender empowerment programmes such as education and training of adolescent girls should be implemented and strengthened at both the community and national levels. Community members should be sensitised on the negative effects of norms that support child marriage, gender-based violence and early childbearing.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/7/e060576.full |
| spellingShingle | Melissa Kang Bright Opoku Ahinkorah Lin Perry Fiona Brooks Barriers and facilitators regarding the implementation of policies and programmes aimed at reducing adolescent pregnancy in Ghana: an exploratory qualitative study BMJ Open |
| title | Barriers and facilitators regarding the implementation of policies and programmes aimed at reducing adolescent pregnancy in Ghana: an exploratory qualitative study |
| title_full | Barriers and facilitators regarding the implementation of policies and programmes aimed at reducing adolescent pregnancy in Ghana: an exploratory qualitative study |
| title_fullStr | Barriers and facilitators regarding the implementation of policies and programmes aimed at reducing adolescent pregnancy in Ghana: an exploratory qualitative study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Barriers and facilitators regarding the implementation of policies and programmes aimed at reducing adolescent pregnancy in Ghana: an exploratory qualitative study |
| title_short | Barriers and facilitators regarding the implementation of policies and programmes aimed at reducing adolescent pregnancy in Ghana: an exploratory qualitative study |
| title_sort | barriers and facilitators regarding the implementation of policies and programmes aimed at reducing adolescent pregnancy in ghana an exploratory qualitative study |
| url | https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/7/e060576.full |
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