Today, Thursday 22, August, 2024, Uganda Christian University (UCU) hosted a research dissemination event for the project “Olutindo” (meaning “The Bridge”).

This project aims to promote sexual and reproductive health behavior change among teenage girls in Mukono district through strategic communication intervention.

The research team, led by Professor James Kiwanuka-Tondo, presented their progress report, highlighting the project’s objectives, activities, and outputs.

The research team consists of Professor James Kiwanuka Tondo, the Principal Investigator; Dr. Jeremy Waiswa; Mr. Solomon Kibirige Kasule; Mr. Martin Kabanda; Mrs. Elizabeth Nagudi Situma; Christine Nabadda Mpaulo; and research assistants such as Flavia Zalwango, Aggrey Mugisha, and Frank Obonyo.

The project aims to design a strategic communication intervention to promote effective sexual and reproductive health behavior change through participatory and community-engaged approaches.

The project funded by Directorate of Research, Partnerships and Innovation (DRPI) seeks to address the pressing issue of teenage pregnancy in Uganda, where 32,000 teenagers get pregnant every month, and 40% of teenage girls are married by the age of 18.

The interdisciplinary project, involving the School of Journalism, Faculty of Social Sciences, and Faculty of Public Health, aims to investigate the following questions about teenage pregnancy in Mukono District:

• What are the perceptions and attitudes of teenage girls regarding the causes of teenage pregnancy?
• What specific factors contribute to high rates of teenage pregnancies in Mukono District?
• What communication strategies can be employed to reduce teenage pregnancies in Mukono District?

The baseline data has been collected through focus group discussions and questionnaires shared with teenagers and parents.

The baseline data has identified four causes of teenage pregnancy: 26.5% is attributed to poverty, 23.7% is attributed to peer pressure, and 13.9% is attributed to lack of sexual education.

For the next six months, they will finalize data collection and analysis before moving on to message design and development.

The project’s findings and recommendations will contribute to addressing the challenges of teenage pregnancy and promoting healthy behavior among teenage girls in Mukono district.

Compiled by: Irene Best Nyapendi and Blessing Twine

Edited by: Harriet Adong, UCU Director Communication and Public Relations (Vice Chancellor’s Division)