Impact of Knowledge gained from adolescents' puberty's books on knowledge and attitudes towards puberty development changes among a very young adolescent learners in Malawi

Abstract

Introduction: A distinct subgroup of adolescents, very young adolescents (VYA) aged 10 to 14 are going through one of the most important life transformations. For adolescents to develop the healthy behaviors that can influence their present and future health, well-being, and ability to avert hazards like early, unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted illnesses, and gender-based violence, they require knowledge, skills, and social support. Save the Children, in collaboration with the Malawian government through the Ministries of Health and Education, developed puberty workbooks to be used with in- and out-of-school youth to complement life skills education. Methodology: This research assessed the impact of the puberty books on VYA's knowledge and attitudes toward puberty and the associated physical changes and their level of confidence to manage the changes in Blantyre urban schools. A pre and post exposure study design was used among VYA in 10 sampled schools. The study used McNemar’s exact test for matched pairs to test the observed difference in the outcomes before and after reading the puberty book. Ethical clearance was obtained. Assent was acquired from caregivers and consent from the VYA.