Paul C. Hewett|Karen Austrian|Erica Soler?Hampejsek|Jere R. Behrman|Fiammetta Bozzani|Natalie A. Jackson-Hachonda
Cluster randomized evaluation of Adolescent Girls Empowerment Programme (AGEP): study protocol
Population Council|British Council|Population Council|University of Pennsylvania|London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine|National HIV/AIDS/STI/TB Council
adolescents less developed countries zambia often face multifaceted challenges achieving successful transitions adolescence early adulthood literature noted need introduce interventions period particularly adolescent girls perspective investments significant economic social health returns society adolescent girls empowerment programme agep intervention designed catalyst change adolescent girls family community agep multisectoral intervention targeting 10000 vulnerable adolescent girls ages 1019 rural urban areas four ten provinces zambia core agep mentorled weekly girls group meetings 20 30 adolescent girls participating two years three curricula sexual reproductive health lifeskills financial literacy nutrition guided meetings engaging participatory pedagogical approach used two additional program components health voucher bank account offered girls provide direct mechanisms improve access health financial services embedded within agep rigorous multiarm randomised cluster trial randomization different combinations programme arms study powered assess impact across set key longerterm outcomes including early marriage first birth contraceptive use educational attainment acquisition hiv hsv2 baseline behavioural surveys biological specimen collection initiated 2013 impact evaluated immediately program ended 2015 evaluated two additional years followup 2017 primary analysis intenttotreat qualitative data collected 2013 2015 2017 inform programme implementation quantitative findings economic evaluation evaluate incremental costeffectiveness component intervention agep program embedded evaluation provide detailed information regarding interventions adolescent girls developing country settings provide rich information data source adolescent girls related findings inform policymakers health professionals donors stakeholders isrctn29322231 march 04 2016 retrospectively registered