This project addresses the critical need for longitudinal data on adolescent health in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) by leveraging existing Health and Demographic Surveillance Systems (HDSSs) across seven sub-Saharan African countries, India and China. The ARISE survey aims to identify the specific health needs of adolescents, employing a unique community-based approach that includes both in-school and out-of-school adolescents.
Approximately 1200 participants were enrolled and participated in two rounds of survey. Following the baseline assessment, participants received regular SMS focusing on nutrition, exercise, and healthy lifestyle. Challenges encountered during implementation include limited response to SMS due to airtime constraints, ignored messages, and difficulty reaching participants who moved to other regions or attended boarding schools.
Scientific writings, on different domains of adolescent health and well-being have been advanced through country specific and cross-country efforts, including conference presentation. One of the outputs from this project, exploring the prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms won the best abstract presentation award during the 10th Tanzania Health Summit in Dar es Salaam, garnering recognition for their contribution to adolescent health research.
Overall, this project contributes significantly to filling the knowledge gap in adolescent health in LMICs, providing valuable insights and methodologies for future research and interventions aimed at improving adolescent health outcomes. Future plans involve analyzing baseline and end-line data, advancing scientific write-ups, and disseminating findings to the local and international community through collaboration with partners.