Climate-related experiences and harms in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic: results from a survey of 152,088 Mexican youth.

The dual crises of COVID-19 and climate change are impacting the lives of adolescents and young people as they transition to adulthood in an uncertain world, yet they are often excluded from research and political discourse. We surveyed young people about their needs and experiences, critical to engaging them and designing effective programs and policies to address these intersecting harms. The 2022 round of a national online survey through the Violence Outcomes in COVID-19 Epoch (VoCes) Study surveyed 152,088 Mexican youth (15-24 years).

The gendered effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on adolescent literacy and schooling outcomes in India.

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted education delivery around the world, with school closures affecting over 1.6 billion students worldwide. In India, schools were closed for over 18 months, affecting 248 million students.

The Multidimensional, Intersecting Impacts of COVID-19 on Young People's Lives: Evidence From Cross-Sectional Surveys in Mexico, India, and Kenya.

Purpose: Studies have documented diverse adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on young people's lives-for instance on mental health, education/employment prospects, and intrafamily violence. We sought to generate much-needed evidence regarding whether, and which, young people are experiencing multiple intersecting effects.

Methods: Data come from cross-sectional surveys with young people ages 15-25 years in Mexico (nationwide, n = 55,692), Kenya (four counties, n = 2,750), and India (two states, n = 3,537), collected from late 2020 to early 2022.

The Urban Environment and Disparities in Sexual and Reproductive Health Outcomes in the Global South: a Scoping Review.

By 2050, the Global South will contain three-quarters of the world's urban inhabitants, yet no standardized categorizations of urban areas exist. This makes it challenging to compare sub-groups within cities. Sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) are a critical component of ensuring that populations are healthy and productive, yet SRHR outcomes within and across urban settings vary significantly.

Growth failure among children of adolescent mothers at ages 0-5 and 6-12 years in India.

Adolescent motherhood has been linked with poor health outcomes at birth for children, including high neonatal mortality, low birthweight, and small-for-gestational-age rates. However, longer-term growth outcomes in the children of adolescent mothers in low-resource settings remain inadequately studied. We used longitudinal data from the India Human Development Surveys, 2004-2005 and 2011-2012 (n = 12,182) and employed regression and propensity score matching analysis to compare the following growth indicators of children born to adolescent mothers (ages 19 years or below) with those born to older mothers.

The mental health of Asian American adolescents and young adults amid the rise of anti-Asian racism.

Objectives: We describe the perceptions and experiences of anti-Asian racism and violence and depression severity prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic among a sample of Asian American (AA) adolescents and young adults.

Methods: We used data from the Young Asian American Health Survey (YAAHS), an online-recruited sample of AA adolescents (ages 13-17) and young adults (ages 18-29 years) conducted during May 2021 to March 2022. We presented descriptive statistics examining the univariate distribution and bivariate relationships of depression severity, sociodemographic characteristics, and experiences and perceptions of anti-Asian violence.

A scoping review of survey research with gender minority adolescents and youth in low and middle-income countries.

Background: Survey data that categorizes gender identity in binary terms and conflates sex and gender limits knowledge around the experience of gender minority populations, whose gender identity or expression does not align with the sex they were assigned at birth. In this review, we outline the existing survey research on the experience of a gender minority demographic for whom there is particularly limited data: adolescents and youth in low and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Methods: This paper is a scoping review of peer-reviewed articles, published in English, that use survey data to examine the experience of gender minority adolescents and youth in LMICs.

What Influences Girls' Age at Marriage in Burkina Faso and Tanzania? Exploring the Contribution of Individual, Household, and Community Level Factors.

Purpose: This comparative study explores the connections between potential drivers of child marriage among girls at the individual, household, and community levels. It provides insight into the multilevel influences on child marriage with the goal of informing policies and programs aimed at eliminating the practice.

Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis of baseline data from the Building Evidence to Delay Child Marriage Project, a large study undertaken in Burkina Faso and Tanzania.

Heterogeneous Impacts of Interventions Aiming to Delay Girls' Marriage and Pregnancy Across Girls' Backgrounds and Social Contexts.

Purpose: Despite many programs aiming to delay girls' marriage and pregnancy over the last 2 decades, there is no consensus yet concerning the effectiveness of different approaches and the contexts in which they are implemented. We focus on different social contexts within Bangladesh and Zambia and investigate how literacy, poverty, and community characteristics impact the effectiveness of interventions.

Methods: We utilize data sets from two randomized controlled trials conducted by the Population Council in Bangladesh and Zambia.

Drivers of Marriage and Health Outcomes Among Adolescent Girls and Young Women: Evidence From Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

Purpose: Previous studies have examined the relationship between age at marriage and health outcomes, but few have explored how marriage drivers are associated with health outcomes. In this study, we examine the relationship between two marriage drivers, premarital pregnancy and agency, and several health outcomes (use of maternal health care services, child health outcomes, and change in depressive symptoms) among married adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

Methods: We use three panel data sets collected by the Population Council: the Adolescent Girls Empowerment Program from Zambia (N = 660), the Malawi Schooling and Adolescent Study from Malawi (N = 1,041), and Understanding the Lives of Adolescents and Young Adults from India (N = 894 in Bihar, N = 599 in Uttar Pradesh).

What Are the Drivers of Child Marriage? A Conceptual Framework to Guide Policies and Programs.

Purpose: The child marriage field lacks a simplified framework that connects an understanding of the drivers of child marriage for girls to decisions about the design of interventions to delay marriage within different contexts and support married girls.

Methods: We reviewed existing child marriage frameworks and conducted consultations with experts working on child marriage. We then developed a simplified conceptual framework describing the key drivers of child marriage for girls.

How Has COVID-19-Related Income Loss and Household Stress Affected Adolescent Mental Health in Kenya?

Purpose: Adolescent mental health has been under-researched, particularly in Africa. COVID-19-related household economic stress and school closures will likely have adverse effects. We investigate the relationship among adolescent mental health, adult income loss, and household dynamics during the pandemic in Kenya.

The impact of natural disasters and epidemics on sexual and reproductive health in low- and middle-income countries: A narrative synthesis.

Background: Natural disasters and epidemics can strain already-fragile health systems, diverting resources away from essential sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services, threatening supply chains, and adversely impacting access to health facilities.

Objective: To describe how natural disasters and epidemics affect multiple dimensions of SRH service delivery and outcomes, and identify potential approaches to facilitate resumption of services.

Search Strategy: Key words searched in Google Scholar, PubMed, and Scopus.

Gendered economic, social and health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and mitigation policies in Kenya: evidence from a prospective cohort survey in Nairobi informal settlements.

Objectives: COVID-19 may spread rapidly in densely populated urban informal settlements. Kenya swiftly implemented mitigation policies; we assess the economic, social and health-related harm disproportionately impacting women.

Design: A prospective longitudinal cohort study with repeated mobile phone surveys in April, May and June 2020.

Mobility Patterns During COVID-19 Travel Restrictions in Nairobi Urban Informal Settlements: Who Is Leaving Home and Why.

Nairobi's urban slums are ill equipped to prevent spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) due to high population density, multigenerational families in poorly ventilated informal housing, and poor sanitation. Physical distancing policies, curfews, and a citywide lockdown were implemented in March and April 2020 resulting in sharp decreases in movement across the city. However, most people cannot afford to stay home completely (e.

Effectiveness, safety and acceptability of medical abortion at home versus in the clinic: a systematic review and meta-analysis in response to COVID-19.

Background: Increased access to home-based medical abortion may offer women a convenient, safe and effective abortion method, reduce burdens on healthcare systems and support social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Home-based medical abortion is defined as any abortion where mifepristone, misoprostol or both medications are taken at home.

Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and non-randomised studies (NRSs) were conducted.

Gender specific differences in COVID-19 knowledge, behavior and health effects among adolescents and young adults in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, India.

On March 24, 2020 India implemented a national lockdown to prevent spread of the novel Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) among its 1.3 billion people. As the pandemic may disproportionately impact women and girls, this study examines gender differences in knowledge of COVID-19 symptoms and preventive behaviors, as well as the adverse effects of the lockdown among adolescents and young adults.

Abortion knowledge and experiences among young women and men in Accra, Ghana.

Despite the presence of legal abortion services in Ghana, unsafe abortion remains common, particularly among young women. Little is understood about what young people know about safe and legal abortion, and if and how they are utilizing it. To characterize abortion use and address gaps in safe access, from September-December 2013, we conducted a cross-sectional survey with 100 men and 250 women aged 18-24 in Accra, Ghana.

The Adolescent Data Hub: The Largest Catalog of Open Access Data on Adolescents Living in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

The Adolescent Data Hub (ADH) is the first and largest data catalog specifically developed to focus on open access data on adolescents in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Developed by the Population Council's Girl Innovation, Research, and Learning (GIRL) Center, and launched in August 2018, the ADH has grown to include more than 750 data sources that fit the inclusion criteria of (1) self-reported data from females and/or males between ages 10 and 24 years; (2) one or more rounds of data collected in year 2000 or later; (3) data collected in one or more LMICs; (4) data are publicly available for download and use. A dynamic resource, the ADH is regularly updated to include new datasets that meet these criteria.

Self-administered versus provider-administered medical abortion.

Background: The advent of medical abortion has improved access to safe abortion procedures. Medical abortion procedures involve either administering mifepristone followed by misoprostol or a misoprostol-only regimen. The drugs are commonly administered in the presence of clinicians, which is known as provider-administered medical abortion.

The Influence of Schooling on the Stability and Mutability of Gender Attitudes: Findings From a Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Girls in Zambia.

Purpose: Inequitable gender norms are thought to harm lifelong health and well-being. We explore the process of gender attitude change and the role of schooling in shifting or reinforcing gender norms among adolescent girls in Zambia.

Methods: We used longitudinal data collected from unmarried, vulnerable girls (aged 10-19 years) as part of the Adolescent Girls Empowerment Program.

The evaluation of the Woman's Condom marketing approach: What value did peer-led interpersonal communication add to the promotion of a new female condom in urban Lusaka?

During a mass media campaign accompanying the launch of the Maximum Diva Woman's Condom (WC) in Lusaka, Zambia, a cluster-randomized evaluation was implemented to measure the added impact of a peer-led interpersonal communication (IPC) intervention on the awareness and uptake of the new female condom (FC). The WC and mass media campaign were introduced simultaneously in 40 urban wards in April 2016; half of the wards were randomly assigned to the treatment (IPC intervention) with cross-sectional surveys conducted before (n = 2,364) and one year after (n = 2,430) the start of the intervention. A pre-specified intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis measured the impact of randomization to IPC at the community level.