In sub-Saharan African countries, teenage pregnancy received less attention and weak policy responses, and the pooled prevalence of teenage pregnancy is not yet studied. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the pooled prevalence and determinants of teenage pregnancy in sub-Saharan African countries. A total weighted sample of 96,185 teenage…

This study aimed to identify the association of perceived social norms with intention of early marriage practice among unmarried adolescent girls (13-17 years) in Kersa Demographic and Health Surveillance System. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted during September--November 2019. Adolescent girls' marriage intention was assessed…

The rate of child marriage worldwide reaches 21%. Indonesia was the 37th country with the second-highest percentage of child marriages in ASEAN. Adolescent knowledge and attitudes affect behavior in child marriages. Therefore, educational media is needed to increase knowledge and form positive attitudes in adolescents related to the maturation of…

The UK (Westminster) government first legislated on forced marriage (FM) through the Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act 2007. Domestic abuse suffered before, during and after a FM was captured more recently through the implementation of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, which built upon the concept of coercive abuse. In 2009, the UK (Westminster)…

Estimates show that, in 2019, only 41 per cent of students completed lower secondary and 28 per cent upper secondary education in the sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) region (UNESCO, 2021). One of the reasons for the low completion rates is the poor transition across secondary education due to the significant impact of factors at individual, household,…

Positive life aspirations among adolescents and young adults have been associated with greater wellbeing in the future. However, belonging to a stigmatized minority may jeopardize this process. In this work, we sought to understand the role of sexual and gender identity in the life aspirations (desires and expectations) of adolescents and young…

India has made rapid progress towards the universalization of school education, hand in hand with a decline in child labour. Despite progress, child labour persists in the country, just as school attendance and completion rates reveal gaps in educational attainment. This report addresses a timely need for new research to help decision-makers and…

This article examines intersections between schooling, child marriage, and adolescent pregnancy in a longitudinal, mixed-methods study of Honduran girls. It explores: (1) girls' enrollment and dropout of school patterns and how these relate to timing of marriage and/or childbirth; (2) the factors associated with dropout, early marriage, and/or…

This article investigates the relationship of early marriage to school participation and whether other factors, including individual or family characteristics and childbirth, moderate the relationship. It uses national household survey data for Eastern Africa, pooled at the regional level. Overall, findings confirm that marriage and schooling…

The relationship between aspirations and educational outcomes has been underexplored in sub-Saharan Africa. Drawing on six waves of panel data from the Malawi Schooling and Adolescent Study, I use discrete time models to examine the relationship between aspirations for both education and marriage, and school dropout in Southern Malawi. Results…

Young people require good quality information about their sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) while transitioning to adulthood and parents have a key role in providing it. This study intended explored Jordanian and Syrian parents' perspectives on initiating discussions about SRHR with their children. A convenience sample of Jordanian…

Child marriage is the practice of marrying an individual below 18 years. The drivers of this practice include poverty, gender inequality, cultural and religious norms among others. While Ghana is one of many countries worldwide in which child marriage is practised, the literature on cultural underpinnings and implications of the practice in Ghana…

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in widespread school closures globally, including in Kenya. This educational disruption had potential adverse consequences for adolescent school learners including school dropout, learning loss, opportunity losses, loss of previously acquired skills, and loss of socio-emotional benefits of time spent with peers and…

Awareness of culturally diverse young people's rights and needs to sexuality education has been raised internationally. However, existing literature has generally focused more on how culturally diverse young people navigate western mainstream societies, leaving the Asian context underexamined. This paper explores the experiences and views of South…

In the three decades since the 1995 Beijing Platform for Action was endorsed by 189 countries, remarkable gains have been made for adolescent girls across key domains--from rising school completion rates to legal reforms that strengthen their rights, to reductions in the number of adolescent girls giving birth. Yet, glaring gaps remain: nearly 1…