TABLE 1.
Community-Based Girl Group Program Effects by Outcome Domains
| Reported Effect Measure(s):Beneficial Out of Total a | |
|---|---|
| Health beliefs/attitudes | |
| Improved attitudes toward early pregnancy | 2/2 |
| Increased concerns about unprotected sex | 2/2 |
| Increased demand for health servicesb | 2/2 |
| Affected their perceived vulnerability to HIV/AIDS | 1/1 |
| Improved attitudes toward female genital mutilation/cutting | 1/1 |
| Improved attitudes toward family sizes | 2/3 |
| 10/11 (90.9%) | |
| Gender beliefs/attitudes | |
| Changed perception of gender roles and norms | 7/8 |
| Improved attitudes towards child marriage | 5/6 |
| Improved attitudes towards gender-based violence | 4/7 |
| Improved beliefs regarding girls' education | 1/2 |
| Improved attitudes towards girls’ economic empowerment | 1/2 |
| 18/25 (72.0%) | |
| Education-related outcomes | |
| Improved numeracy skills | 4/4 |
| Increased vocational training | 1/1 |
| Reduced need for tutoring | 1/1 |
| Increased school enrollment | 3/4 |
| Improved literacy skills | 2/4 |
| Increased school retention | 1/3 |
| Increased grade attainment | 1/3 |
| 13/20 (65.0%) | |
| Psychosocial outcomes | |
| Increased self-efficacy regarding condom use | 2/2 |
| Increased self-efficacy to assert opinions and concerns | 6/7 |
| Increased social supportc | 7/9 |
| Increased self-efficacy to seek out HIV testing | 1/1 |
| Increased autonomy when searching for a job | 2/3 |
| Increased mobility | 4/10 |
| Improved self-esteem | 1/3 |
| Reduced experience of gender discrimination | 0/1 |
| 23/36 (63.8%) | |
| Knowledge/awareness-health | |
| Increased HIV knowledge | 9/12 |
| Increased reproductive health knowledge | 6/10 |
| Increased STI knowledge | 5/9 |
| Increased menstrual regulation knowledge | 1/2 |
| Increased awareness of sexual and reproductive health and HIV | 1/2 |
| Knowledge/awareness-gender | |
| Increased awareness of marital-related rightsd | 2/4 |
| 24/39 (61.5%) | |
| Economic and financial outcomes | |
| Increased household assets | 1/1 |
| Decreased food insecurity | 1/1 |
| Increased monthly expenditures | 1/1 |
| Increased number of savings accounts (formal and informal) | 7/8 |
| Increased employment | 5/6 |
| Increased earnings | 2/4 |
| Increased savings amount | 1/4 |
| Increased financial literacy | 0/3 |
| Reduced dowry practices | 0/2 |
| 18/30 (60.0%) | |
| Health-related behavior | |
| Increased secondary abstinence | 1/1 |
| Increased menstrual hygiene management | 1/1 |
| Increased utilization of violence treatment, support, and/or prevention services | 1/1 |
| Increased health service utilization | 3/6 |
| Reduced child marriage | 3/8 |
| Increased condom use | 5/11 |
| Increased contraceptive use | 3/9 |
| Delayed sexual debut | 2/6 |
| Decreased transactional sex | 1/3 |
| Decreased number of sex partners | 1/7 |
| Reduced drugs or alcohol misuse | 0/1 |
| Increased HIV testing | 0/2 |
| 21/56 (37.5%) | |
| Health status | |
| Improved self-rated health status | 1/1 |
| Decreased female genital mutilation/cutting | 1/1 |
| Decreased pregnanciese | 2/5 |
| Decreased experience of physical violence | 1/3 |
| Decreased experience of sexual violencef | 2/7 |
| Decreased HSV-2 incidence | 1/4 |
| Delayed pregnancy | 0/1 |
| Decreased negative mental health outcomes | 0/2 |
| Reduced STI symptoms | 0/3 |
| Decreased HIV incidence | 0/4 |
| 8/31 (25.8%) | |
Abbreviations: HSV-2, herpes simplex virus 2; STI, sexually transmitted infection.
Denominator=total number of times each effect was measured across all the programs. Numerator=number of times a measured effect was statistically significant (i.e., beneficial). A program could not contribute to an effect’s denominator and numerator more than once. An aggregate total of the effect measures is presented at the bottom of each domain.
For example, contraceptives and voluntary counseling and testing.
Social support includes increasing girls’ support from elders (e.g., family and non-family adults whom girls can turn to in need) and peers (e.g., social safety nets, girls’ clubs, friends).
For example, detriments of child marriage and legal age of marriage.
This effect includes early, unintended, and current pregnancies.
Aggregates the measurement of indicators that described experiences of rape and indecent/unwanted touching by someone of the opposite sex, including a husband.