COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF SAGITTAL DEFORMATIONS OF SPINAL COLUMN IN YOUNGER ADOLESCENT GIRLS OF URBAN AND RURAL AREAS

Background:In Latin America, more than 80% of adolescent girls are physically inactive. Inactivity may be reinforced by female stereotypes and objectification in the Latin American sociocultural context.Methods:We examined the influence of objectification on the adoption of an active lifestyle among 192 adolescents (14 and 17 years old) from urban and rural areas in Costa Rica. Analyses of 48 focus-groups sessions were grounded in Objectification Theory.Results:Vigorous exercises were gender-typed as masculine while girls had to maintain an aesthetic appearance at all times. Adolescents described how girls were anxious around the prospect of being shamed and sexually objectified during exercises. This contributed to a decrease in girls’ desire to engage in physical activities. Among males, there is also a budding tolerance of female participation in vigorous sports, as long as girls maintained a feminine stereotype outside their participation.Conclusion:Self-objectification influenced Costa Rican adolescent girls’ decisions to participate in physical activities. Interventions may include: procuring safe environments for physical activity where girls are protected from fear of ridicule and objectification; sensitizing boys about girl objectification and fostering the adoption of a modern positive masculine and female identities to encourage girls’ participation in sports.

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Reproductive Health Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice among Adolescent Girls in Urban and Rural Areas of Bangladesh

Anthropos ◽

10.5771/0257-9774-2021-1-55 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 116 (1) ◽

pp. 55-66

Author(s):

Farzana Karim ◽

Muhammad Zakaria ◽

N. M. Sajjadul Hoque

Keyword(s):

Reproductive Health ◽

Adolescent Girls ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Health Knowledge ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Attitudes And Practices ◽

Attitude And Practice ◽

College Going ◽

Urban And Rural Areas ◽

Knowledge Attitude And Practice

This study aims at assessing the level of knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) concerning reproductive health (RH) among adolescent college-going girls in the urban and rural areas of Chittagong District, Bangladesh. A college-based cross-sectional study was conducted among college-going girls (N = 792) of four colleges attending Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) classes (eleven/twelve classes) in Chittagong District. Data were collected using a structured and self-administered questionnaire. Chi-square (χ2) and independent-samples t-test were conducted to make the comparison between urban and rural participants. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS version 24.0. The authors’ interpretation of the findings was also informed by anthropological as well as qualitative considerations. Mothers were reported to be the key informants of reproductive health for the adolescent girls of both urban and rural areas. Besides, urban respondents were more likely than rural respondents (p < .001) to feel comfortable during the discussion on RH with mother/sister/relative; to communicate frequently with their mothers; to discuss RH issues regularly; to have prior knowledge on menstruation. Moreover, this study also found significant differences (p < .05) regarding most of the items addressing RH knowledge, attitude, and practice between adolescent girls in urban and rural areas of Bangladesh due to the existing socio-cultural disparities between the areas of residence.

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