Designing a Guideline for Empowering Married Adolescent Girls in Reproductive Health: A Mixed-Method Study Protocol Publisher Pubmed

Summary: Study aims to create guidelines to improve reproductive health for married teen girls, addressing unmet needs. #ReproductiveHealth #AdolescentHealth

Allahverdizadeh S¹ ; Kohan S² ; Farajzadegan Z³ ; Ghojazadeh M⁴
Source: Reproductive Health Published:2018

Abstract

Background: Investing in adolescent's health, especially, the role of girls in community health and future generations is one of the most important strategies of the Millennium Development Goals. In this regard, supplying adolescents' special needs including access to educational, health and counseling services for promoting reproductive health have been emphasized. About 36% of registered marriages in Iran are under the age of 19 though, reproductive health services based on married adolescent girls' needs in social-cultural context were not predicted in national health system. Therefore, this study aim was designing a guideline for empowering married adolescents in reproductive health. Methods: This is a sequential exploratory Mixed-method study conducted in three consecutive phases. The first phase, with a qualitative approach, explores needs, barriers and strategies for empowering married adolescent girls in reproductive health. In the second phase, a systematic review will be conducted to identify the recommendation and strategies for empowering married adolescent girls in reproductive health in other countries. Finally, in third phase, data from qualitative study and systematic review are emerged and the most important solutions and recommendations related to the issue are extracted and the final guideline is adapted by the experts. Discussion: This study is attempting to provide a guideline containing comprehensive recommendations for health system' policy makers and providers in order to empowering adolescent girls in reproductive health. © 2018 The Author(s).