ADOLESCENT KNOWLEDGE, VALUES, AND COPING STRATEGIES - IMPLICATIONS FOR HEALTH IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

Purpose: The purposes of this study were to investigate the experience s and knowledge of adolescents living in an urban center in Kenya and to understand ho iv the decisions they make affect their physical and psychological health. Methods: A sample of 216 adolescents was drawn a nd they met weekly in small groups with trained facilitators for a per iod of 6 months. A research team monitored the developments of the gro ups and the topics they discussed. The findings were corroborated by t he adolescents. Results: It was found that adolescents were primarily concerned with developing a coherent and consistent set of personal va lues which would govern their behavior. Unfortunately, they could not always achieve those values and they resorted to dysfunctional coping strategies which were injurious to their health.Conclusions: The role of the adolescent in developing countries is complex and poorly define d. In a period of unprecedented change, an urgent and comprehensive re view is necessary by all sections of society if the health of this gro up is to improve. (C) Society for Adolescent Medicine, 1997.