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Author ORCID Identifier
N/A
AccessType
Open Access Dissertation
Document Type
dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education (EdD)
Degree Program
Education
Year Degree Awarded
2014
Month Degree Awarded
February
First Advisor
Cristine Smith
Second Advisor
Sharon F. Rallis
Third Advisor
Aline Gubrium
Subject Categories
Asian Studies | Community-Based Research | Education Policy | Family, Life Course, and Society | Gender and Sexuality | Health Policy | Health Services Research | International and Comparative Education | International Public Health | Other International and Area Studies | Public Health Education and Promotion | Quantitative, Qualitative, Comparative, and Historical Methodologies | Rural Sociology | Social and Cultural Anthropology | Social Policy | Women's Health
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to develop a deeper understanding of the health issues facing adolescent females (ages 18-21) in rural, northeastern Afghanistan. Incorporating participant observations, in-depth interviews, and narrative inquiries, this study seeks to illustrate adolescent females’ perspectives on health issues.
To achieve this goal, ten adolescent females were interviewed in rural, northeastern Afghanistan during 2010. The participants were between 18- and 21-years old. The one-on-one interviews were conducted in a multiple-response format and were structured around three research questions:
- How does a young female’s understanding of health issues shape her identity in northeastern Afghanistan?
- In what ways do the narrative stories of Afghan females link to issues such as education, health, and family dynamics?
- In what ways are the narrative stories of Afghan females linked to their cultural beliefs about health?
The participants were asked to discuss their perceptions of life, health, body image, illness, and related topics. The participants struggled to articulate answers to these questions, but their personal narratives and body language vividly illustrated the issues they struggled to express. Their narrative responses are reduced in this study to produce a dynamic perspective on adolescent females’ perceptions of health issues in northeastern Afghanistan.
During the course of this study, it became apparent that:
- Family influences shaped the participants’ social world. They relied upon their families for daily communication, information, and moral and emotional support.
- Despite this social dependence, the participants demonstrated a marked reluctance to discuss health issues with their mothers or with other older females in their households.
- The participants rarely connected health with its traditional meaning (i.e. physical or mental well-being). For them, health was related to a good life—free from stress and care—and education.
There is still much more to learn about adolescent health in rural Afghanistan; yet an understanding of these cultural constructs of family, health, and education is necessary to pursue further inquiries. This study’s findings provide the groundwork for future research and discussion—and, ultimately, a deeper understanding of adolescent females’ perceptions of health in rural Afghanistan.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.7275/6trg-ks60
Recommended Citation
Davlatshoeva, Amina, "UNDERSTANDING HEALTH ISSUES AMONG ADOLESCENT FEMALES IN A NORTHEAST PROVINCE OF AFGHANISTAN" (2014). Doctoral Dissertations. 69.
https://doi.org/10.7275/6trg-ks60
https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations_2/69
Included in
Asian Studies Commons, Community-Based Research Commons, Education Policy Commons, Family, Life Course, and Society Commons, Gender and Sexuality Commons, Health Policy Commons, Health Services Research Commons, International and Comparative Education Commons, International Public Health Commons, Other International and Area Studies Commons, Public Health Education and Promotion Commons, Quantitative, Qualitative, Comparative, and Historical Methodologies Commons, Rural Sociology Commons, Social and Cultural Anthropology Commons, Social Policy Commons, Women's Health Commons