Thesis (M.A.)--Northern Kentucky University, 2009. / Made available through ProQuest. Publication number: AAT 1467648. ProQuest document ID: 1850697981. Includes bibliographical references (p. 25-27)

M.Cur. / Please refer to full text to view abstract

The purpose of the study is to identify what types of pregnancy interventions in which adolescent females in San Bernardino have participated.

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Technology, Information Technology, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2013. / This study reports on the application of decision making core technology adoption theory to empirically examine youth preferences for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) preventive actions. In order to contribute to the open discourse on whether technology adoption rate is higher for male or female, goal desire, goal intention, action desire and action intention elements of decision making core theory were tested. A mobile health information system was implemented as an HIV information disseminating tool and used for experimentation to determine adoption by youths. A dataset of 118 pupils from two high schools was used for pilot investigation. A dataset of 292 undergraduate youths aged 10-24 years from two universities in South Africa was generated to validate the research model. The Partial Least Square (PLS) analytic modelling technique was used to determine the predictive power of decision making core model from the input dataset. Results of experimentation show that regardless of the gender youth accepts to use mobile information system to access HIV information. The predictive power of the decision making core model was found to be independent of gender factor, which was also not found to moderate the relationship between Perceived Behavioural Control (PBC) and action intention. In addition, gender was not found to moderate the order of importance in factors that predict youth preferences for HIV preventive action. PBC, action desire and goal desire were selected as the most important predictors of HIV preventive actions. The factor of action desire was found to mediate the relationship between PBC and action intention such that the mediation effect was stronger for male youth (68%) than for female youth (19%). Finally, the decision making core model better predicted youth preferences for HIV preventive actions as compared to two models based on Theory of Reason Action (TRA) and Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB).

The study comprehensively analysed the impact of primary prevention services for reproductive health in the environment within which the adolescents grow towards life skills ecquisition and positive behavior patterning. The availability, accessibility and the effectiveness of adolescents' accompaniment in Soshanguve Township by certain caregivers were assessed. Unstructured observations, review of documents, questionnaire and semi-structured interviews were used for data collection. The results revealed the least support by parents and churches to accompany the adolescents and the inaccessibility of specialised center to the disadvantaged. The continued lack of knowledge and life-skills perpetuated the onset of reproductive problems. The lack of programmes to equip care providers on how to improve communication during care provision was a major setback. There is a great need for the erection of special care centers for adolescents. / Health Studies / M.A. (Nursing Science)

The study comprehensively analysed the impact of primary prevention services for reproductive health in the environment within which the adolescents grow towards life skills ecquisition and positive behavior patterning. The availability, accessibility and the effectiveness of adolescents' accompaniment in Soshanguve Township by certain caregivers were assessed. Unstructured observations, review of documents, questionnaire and semi-structured interviews were used for data collection. The results revealed the least support by parents and churches to accompany the adolescents and the inaccessibility of specialised center to the disadvantaged. The continued lack of knowledge and life-skills perpetuated the onset of reproductive problems. The lack of programmes to equip care providers on how to improve communication during care provision was a major setback. There is a great need for the erection of special care centers for adolescents. / Health Studies / M.A. (Nursing Science)

The study sought to explore and describe the risk behaviour regarding HIV transmission among youth in Bulawayo, their knowledge of HIV transmission and the sources of information on HIV transmission accessible to them. A quantitative, descriptive exploratory design was used and 238 youth from three secondary schools in Bulawayo, the second largest city in Zimbabwe were the respondents. The Health Belief Model (HBM) was used to facilitate and acquire insight into the risk behaviour among the youth. The inferences drawn from the study were that youth have inadequate knowledge about HIV transmission and therefore do not fully understand their risk of infection. Youth also find shyness and fear of rejection serious barriers to communicating openly about sexuality, sexual and HIV/AIDS issues. The findings of the study have implications for programmes to limit HIV transmission among youth and should assist policymakers and educators in developing and implementing such programmes in order to improve the health of youth in Zimbabwe. / Health Studies / M.A. (Health Studies)

The aim of this study was to investigate the perceptions, attitudes, opinions and fears of the adolescent high school learners towards HIV counseling and testing at school.Quantitative, descriptive, exploratory research was conducted to determine if high school learners would like to be tested for HIV at school. Data collection was done using structured questionnaires. The respondents in the study were daytime high school learners (n=120) who were in grade 8 to 12, between ages of 12 to 18 years of age. The study highlighted that adolescents engage in sexual activities at an early age. The results revealed that there is lack of knowledge, unavailability of HCT services for adolescents and the resources to keep a girl child school. This behavior may result in adolescents contracting sexually transmitted infections and HIV, falling pregnant at an early age, which may force adolescent high school learners to drop out of school. However, the study shows that government has more to educate adolescent high school learners about HIV/AIDS to modify their perceptions and attitudes towards HIV counseling and testing. / Health Studies / M.A. (Health studies)

The study sought to explore and describe the risk behaviour regarding HIV transmission among youth in Bulawayo, their knowledge of HIV transmission and the sources of information on HIV transmission accessible to them. A quantitative, descriptive exploratory design was used and 238 youth from three secondary schools in Bulawayo, the second largest city in Zimbabwe were the respondents. The Health Belief Model (HBM) was used to facilitate and acquire insight into the risk behaviour among the youth. The inferences drawn from the study were that youth have inadequate knowledge about HIV transmission and therefore do not fully understand their risk of infection. Youth also find shyness and fear of rejection serious barriers to communicating openly about sexuality, sexual and HIV/AIDS issues. The findings of the study have implications for programmes to limit HIV transmission among youth and should assist policymakers and educators in developing and implementing such programmes in order to improve the health of youth in Zimbabwe. / Health Studies / M.A. (Health Studies)

The aim of this study was to investigate the perceptions, attitudes, opinions and fears of the adolescent high school learners towards HIV counseling and testing at school.Quantitative, descriptive, exploratory research was conducted to determine if high school learners would like to be tested for HIV at school. Data collection was done using structured questionnaires. The respondents in the study were daytime high school learners (n=120) who were in grade 8 to 12, between ages of 12 to 18 years of age. The study highlighted that adolescents engage in sexual activities at an early age. The results revealed that there is lack of knowledge, unavailability of HCT services for adolescents and the resources to keep a girl child school. This behavior may result in adolescents contracting sexually transmitted infections and HIV, falling pregnant at an early age, which may force adolescent high school learners to drop out of school. However, the study shows that government has more to educate adolescent high school learners about HIV/AIDS to modify their perceptions and attitudes towards HIV counseling and testing. / Health Studies / M.A. (Health studies)