Evidence - SBC Impact
Compelling, credible, recent, direct impact data
Evidence - SBC Impact
After nearly 28 years, The Communication Initiative (The CI) Global is entering a new chapter. Following a period of transition, the global website has been transferred to the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa, where it will be administered by the Social and Behaviour Change Communication Division. Wits' commitment to social change and justice makes it a trusted steward for The CI's legacy and future.
 
Co-founder Victoria Martin is pleased to see this work continue under Wits' leadership. Victoria knows that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction.
 
We honour the team and partners who sustained The CI for decades. Meanwhile, La Iniciativa de Comunicación (CILA) continues independently at cila.comminitcila.com and is linked with The CI Global site.
Time to read
1 minute
Print
a- a+
Published 13 years ago
Last updated 2 years ago
Read so far

The impact of health education on reproductive health knowledge among adolescents in a rural Nigerian community

0 comments

Mba, C. I., S. N. Obi, et al. (2007) The impact of health education on reproductive health knowledge among adolescents in a rural Nigerian community. Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology 513-517

OBJECTIVE: This intervention study was to evaluate the impact of reproductive health education on the knowledge and attitude of adolescents in a rural Nigerian community to reproductive health issues. It compared adolescents in a secondary school (study group), which received health education on reproductive health with another secondary school (control group), which did not receive any. The impact of the programme was evaluated with a pre-test baseline knowledge and post-test gain in the knowledge 6 weeks later, using the same questionnaire.

METHODS AND FINDINGS: A total of 180 students selected by systematic sampling from each of the two randomly selected schools in Item, a rural community in south-east Nigeria participated in the programme. While all the respondents have heard of reproductive health and could identify at least one of its components, their knowledge of it prior to the health education were defective and were obtained mainly from peers and the mass media. Such information was incomplete and often coloured with cultural and religious bias. However, there was a significant (p < 0.05) gain in correct knowledge following the health education. The students in the study group showed a positive and permissive attitude towards reproductive health education and there was a drop in risky sexual behaviour following the intervention. Pre-marital sex (94.3%), pregnancy prevention and abortion (88.5%) and sexually transmitted infections (82.8%) were common reproductive health problems raised by the students. Reproductive health education as part of the school curriculum will provide an effective means of improving knowledge and reducing reproductive health problems among adolescents in developing countries.

Why the focus on direct impact data?

A common challenge from policy makers, funders, community members, people directly experiencing development issues, and governments is: Demonstrate your Impact. Prove that what you are doing works. The high quality, highly credible data presented on the cards below is designed to help you answer that question for your social change, behaviour change, community engagement, communication and media for development, strategy formulation, policy engagement and funding initiatives. At this link filter the research data to your specific interests and priorities

Why a playing cards design?

There is a physical pack of cards with this data (to get a copy please request through the comment form for any card). The card approach allows for easy identification and selection of relevant direct impact data in any context. For example if talking with a donor and you need to identify proof of impact say "take a look at the 7 of Hearts". Quick access can be provided to high-quality data for many areas of your work – funding, planning, policy, advocacy, community dialogue, training, partner engagement, and more. A card deck is also engaging, easy to use and share, a conversation starter, and a resource - and they are fun and different. So we kept that design for the online images as it can serve similar purposes. 

What are the criteria for inclusion?

The impact data presented meets the following high standard for inclusion criteria:

  • Positive change or trend in a priority development issue;
  • Social change or behaviour change strategy or process;
  • Randomized Control Trial or Systematic Review methodology;
  • High quality peer review journal published;
  • Numeric impact data point
  • Published since 2010.