Interventions aiming to improve menstrual, sexual, reproductive, and mental health among out-of-school girls: a systematic review

PurposeOut-of-school adolescent girls (OoSGs) can lack education on menstrual, sexual, reproductive, and mental health (SRMH) and be more vulnerable to SRMH harms. Targeted interventions could reduce these risks. We assessed interventions and their effectiveness among OoSGs globally.MethodsSix onlin...

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Main Authors: Karinn Farquharson, Alexandra Quinn-Savory, Garazi Zulaika, Linda Mason, Susan Nungo, Elizabeth Nyothach, Holger Unger, Muthusamy Sivakami, Philip Spinhoven, Penelope A. Phillips-Howard, Anna Maria van Eijk
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2024-12-01
Series:Frontiers in Public Health
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1440930/full
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author Karinn Farquharson
Alexandra Quinn-Savory
Garazi Zulaika
Linda Mason
Susan Nungo
Elizabeth Nyothach
Holger Unger
Holger Unger
Holger Unger
Muthusamy Sivakami
Philip Spinhoven
Penelope A. Phillips-Howard
Anna Maria van Eijk
author_facet Karinn Farquharson
Alexandra Quinn-Savory
Garazi Zulaika
Linda Mason
Susan Nungo
Elizabeth Nyothach
Holger Unger
Holger Unger
Holger Unger
Muthusamy Sivakami
Philip Spinhoven
Penelope A. Phillips-Howard
Anna Maria van Eijk
author_sort Karinn Farquharson
collection DOAJ
description PurposeOut-of-school adolescent girls (OoSGs) can lack education on menstrual, sexual, reproductive, and mental health (SRMH) and be more vulnerable to SRMH harms. Targeted interventions could reduce these risks. We assessed interventions and their effectiveness among OoSGs globally.MethodsSix online databases were searched for interventional studies targeting SRMH problems in OoSGs. Two coders independently abstracted data from each eligible study, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. We summarized results using forest plots.ResultsA total of 1,244 studies were screened; eight studies with sufficient information on SRMH outcomes were included (9,084 OoSGs, range 100–3,026 per study, overall study quality low-to-moderate). Six were educational programmes, and two were cash interventions; no study was directed at mental health. Participants were recruited through village census, outreach workers, and work locations. Some improvements were seen in indicators of SRMH knowledge (four studies), attitudes (one study), and risky sexual behaviors (four studies); however, no reduction was seen in human immunodeficiency virus or herpes simplex virus-2 incidence (two studies).DiscussionThis review suggests that programmes can improve OosG’s SRMH knowledge, attitudes, and practices and can be delivered in low resource contexts. Effective interventions are needed to support OoSGs, including interventions focusing on SRMH support incorporating elements of cash-transfer, and comprehensive sexual education, and to aid local policy and programming.
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spelling doaj-art-b5150f21fba64666a28631a1ad58baef2024-12-05T08:34:28ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652024-12-011210.3389/fpubh.2024.14409301440930Interventions aiming to improve menstrual, sexual, reproductive, and mental health among out-of-school girls: a systematic reviewKarinn Farquharson0Alexandra Quinn-Savory1Garazi Zulaika2Linda Mason3Susan Nungo4Elizabeth Nyothach5Holger Unger6Holger Unger7Holger Unger8Muthusamy Sivakami9Philip Spinhoven10Penelope A. Phillips-Howard11Anna Maria van Eijk12Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United KingdomDepartment of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United KingdomDepartment of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United KingdomDepartment of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United KingdomDepartment of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United KingdomCenter for Global Health Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Kisumu, KenyaDepartment of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United KingdomGlobal and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, AustraliaDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Royal Darwin Hospital, Tiwi, NT, AustraliaSchool of Population and Global Health, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, IndiaDepartment of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, NetherlandsDepartment of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United KingdomDepartment of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United KingdomPurposeOut-of-school adolescent girls (OoSGs) can lack education on menstrual, sexual, reproductive, and mental health (SRMH) and be more vulnerable to SRMH harms. Targeted interventions could reduce these risks. We assessed interventions and their effectiveness among OoSGs globally.MethodsSix online databases were searched for interventional studies targeting SRMH problems in OoSGs. Two coders independently abstracted data from each eligible study, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. We summarized results using forest plots.ResultsA total of 1,244 studies were screened; eight studies with sufficient information on SRMH outcomes were included (9,084 OoSGs, range 100–3,026 per study, overall study quality low-to-moderate). Six were educational programmes, and two were cash interventions; no study was directed at mental health. Participants were recruited through village census, outreach workers, and work locations. Some improvements were seen in indicators of SRMH knowledge (four studies), attitudes (one study), and risky sexual behaviors (four studies); however, no reduction was seen in human immunodeficiency virus or herpes simplex virus-2 incidence (two studies).DiscussionThis review suggests that programmes can improve OosG’s SRMH knowledge, attitudes, and practices and can be delivered in low resource contexts. Effective interventions are needed to support OoSGs, including interventions focusing on SRMH support incorporating elements of cash-transfer, and comprehensive sexual education, and to aid local policy and programming.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1440930/fullout-of-school girlssexual and reproductive healthmental healthmenstrual healthknowledge
spellingShingle Karinn Farquharson
Alexandra Quinn-Savory
Garazi Zulaika
Linda Mason
Susan Nungo
Elizabeth Nyothach
Holger Unger
Holger Unger
Holger Unger
Muthusamy Sivakami
Philip Spinhoven
Penelope A. Phillips-Howard
Anna Maria van Eijk
Interventions aiming to improve menstrual, sexual, reproductive, and mental health among out-of-school girls: a systematic review
Frontiers in Public Health
out-of-school girls
sexual and reproductive health
mental health
menstrual health
knowledge
title Interventions aiming to improve menstrual, sexual, reproductive, and mental health among out-of-school girls: a systematic review
title_full Interventions aiming to improve menstrual, sexual, reproductive, and mental health among out-of-school girls: a systematic review
title_fullStr Interventions aiming to improve menstrual, sexual, reproductive, and mental health among out-of-school girls: a systematic review
title_full_unstemmed Interventions aiming to improve menstrual, sexual, reproductive, and mental health among out-of-school girls: a systematic review
title_short Interventions aiming to improve menstrual, sexual, reproductive, and mental health among out-of-school girls: a systematic review
title_sort interventions aiming to improve menstrual sexual reproductive and mental health among out of school girls a systematic review
topic out-of-school girls
sexual and reproductive health
mental health
menstrual health
knowledge
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1440930/full
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