Life skills of adolescent girls in relation to their self-concept developed through kishori panchayat: An adolescents for health action model

Abstract

Background: The Adolescents for Health Action model: Kishori Panchayat (KP) is a novel community participation approach for mobilizing and empowering adolescent girls. The model is expected to improve life skills of adolescent girls not only through occasional life skills sessions but also by providing them a platform for interaction with peer-groups, villagers and health-care providers, sharing experiences, community level health, and social activities. Objective: We aimed to assess whether life skills of KP girls are better in comparison to non-KP girls aged 12–18 years. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was carried out among 100 KP and non-KP girls, respectively, of aged 12–18 years, selected using random lottery method over 1-year period under Anji and Waifad Primary health center areas (10 villages from each) of rural Wardha, Maharashtra. Validated self-administered scales for communication skill, critical thinking, decision-making, problem-solving, and self-esteem were used. Written consent from participants and permission from institutional ethics committee were taken. Results: The mean life skill scores were better among KP girls compared to non-KP with a significant difference (P < 0.001) in both groups regarding communication skill, critical thinking skill, decision-making, problem-solving, self-esteem, and total life skill scores. Conclusion: Community-based adolescents for health action model for the rural adolescent girls can empower and enhances their life skills with minimum resource and intensive effort.

Keywords

• adolescence
• kishori panchayat
• life skills