Intervention to Improve Developmental and Health Outcomes for Female Adolescents

NCT04231669 | Completed Results

• 1 other identifier: R21HD099508
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 200
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The primary goal of this pilot study (R21) is to address the urgent need for theoretically and empirically informed interventions that prevent poor female youth's rural-to-urban migration for child labor in low and middle-income countries. The study will address the following specific aims: Aim 1: Pilot test the (i) feasibility and acceptability of ANZANSI; and (ii) preliminary impact of ANZANSI by comparing the control arm to the treatment arm on specific child development outcomes; Aim 2: Explore multi- level factors (individual, family, and programmatic) impacting participation in and experiences with the ANZANSI.

Conditions

Independent Child Migration

Keywords

child migration; child labor; sub-Saharan Africa; female adolescents

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Intention to Migrate

  Change in intention to migrate will be measured by one question: How likely do you (the adolescent girl) see yourself migrating? The question uses a likert scale ranging from 1 (very unlikely) to 5 (very likely).

  Baseline, post-test (9 months), 6-months follow-up

Secondary Outcomes (15)

• Attitudes Towards School

  baseline, post-test (9 month), 6 month follow-up (6-month post intervention completion)

• School Attendance

  baseline, post-test (9 month), 6 month follow-up (6-month post intervention completion)

• Self-concept

  baseline, post-test (9 months), 6 month follow-up (6-month post intervention completion)

• Multidimensional Student Life Satisfaction

  baseline, post-test (9 months), 6 month follow-up (6-month post intervention completion)

• The Adolescent Stress Questionnaire (ASQ)

  baseline, post-test (9 months), 6 month follow-up (6-month post intervention completion)

Study Arms (2)

Control: bolstered care

NO INTERVENTION

Female adolescents in the bolstered care will receive services/education as usual in their respective schools. The usual care will be bolstered by providing school notebooks and lunch in the control arm (bolstered care will also be provided to treatment arm). Primary school education is universal and free in Ghana. Yet notebooks and lunch are costly expenses for families that create a barrier to school attendance. Hence, these will be provided to participants in all study schools.

Anzansi Family Program

EXPERIMENTAL

In addition to bolstered care, participants(adolescent girls and caregivers) in this arm will receive the ANZANSI that combines Family Economic Empowerment (EE) with Multiple Family Groups (MFG).

Behavioral: Anzansi Family Program

Interventions

Anzansi Family Program BEHAVIORAL

the ANZANSI that combines Family Economic Empowerment (EE) with Multiple Family Groups (MFG). Family EE includes: 1) Workshops on asset building, future planning, and protection from risks; 2) Child Development Account (CDA); and 3) Family income-generating/microenterprise promotion (IGA) component: MFG a family-centered, group-delivered, evidence-informed intervention designed for children and adolescents whose families struggle with poverty and associated stressors. The MFG is based on building family support through opportunities for parents and children to communicate in a safe setting with other families who have shared experiences, and allow each family to learn from one another. MFG builds protective factors for healthy parent-child relationships while addressing familial, social and community stressors and barriers to adolescent girls' well-being. Both adolecsnt girls and their caregivers will receive the intervention.

Anzansi Family Program

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 11 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Enrolled in school and living within a family (defined broadly -not necessarily biological parents)
• Ages 11 to 14
• Capable of giving assent
• Skipping school in the past academic term (with at least 10% of unexcused absences).
• Self-identified as primary caregiver of the adolescent girl
• Capable of providing informed consent.

You may not qualify if:

• Participants (girls and caregivers) that do not meet the criteria or exhibit a lack of understanding of the study procedures and hence not able to provide informed consent will be excluded.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Washington University School of Medicine: lead
• BasicNeeds Ghana: collaborator
• University of Ghana: collaborator
• BIBIR Ghana: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

University of Ghana

Accra, Ghana

Location

Related Publications (1)

• Sensoy Bahar O, Ssewamala FM, Ibrahim A, Boateng A, Nabunya P, Neilands TB, Asampong E, McKay MM. Anzansi family program: a study protocol for a combination intervention addressing developmental and health outcomes for adolescent girls at risk of unaccompanied migration. Pilot Feasibility Stud. 2020 Dec 7;6(1):190. doi: 10.1186/s40814-020-00737-4.

  PMID: 33372647 DERIVED

Results Point of Contact

• Title: Dr. Ozge Sensoy Bahar
• Organization: Washington University in St. Louis

ozge.sensoybahar@wustl.edu

314-935-9403

Publication Agreements

• PI is Sponsor Employee: Yes

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: January 8, 2020
• First Posted: January 18, 2020
• Study Start: July 20, 2020
• Primary Completion: June 30, 2022
• Study Completion: June 30, 2022
• Last Updated: February 13, 2026
• Results First Posted: March 14, 2023

Record last verified: 2026-02

Locations

GH (1)