Unravelling adolescent girls' aspirations in Nepal: Status and associations with individual-, household-, and community-level characteristics

PLoS One. 2021 Nov 12;16(11):e0258416. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0258416. eCollection 2021.

Abstract

Background: Adolescents' aspirations have potential to influence their present and future well-being. Limited knowledge exists on adolescent girls' aspirations and their determinants, particularly in low-income contexts.

Methods and findings: Using cross-sectional data, collected in 2018 in Nepal, within the Suaahara II Adolescent Panel Survey, (n = 840), adolescent girls' aspirations in several domains-education, occupation, marriage, fertility, health, and nutrition-were described. Regression models were estimated to explore associations between individual, household and community characteristics and these aspirations for all adolescents and separately for younger (10-14 years) and older (15-19 years) girls. Age, school attendance, and self-efficacy, as well as household wealth, caste/ethnicity, size, and agro-ecological zone of residence were significantly associated with aspirations, although effect sizes and significance varied by aspiration domain and age group.

Conclusions: Findings underscore the curtailing effect of poverty on aspirations and the dynamic nature of aspirations. Initiatives to foster girls' aspirations must address both individual and contextual factors.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adolescent Health*
  • Child
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Educational Status
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Marriage*
  • Motivation*
  • Nepal
  • Nutritional Status
  • Poverty
  • Residence Characteristics*
  • Social Class*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Young Adult

Grants and funding

This research was part funded by a PhD fellowship grant received from the Edema-Steernberg, a charitable institution registered with the Dutch Chamber of Commerce (number 64 61 64 60). This research was also carried out in collaboration with and part funded by Suaahara II, a United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funded-initiative under Cooperative Agreement (No. AID-367-A-16-00006) between USAID and Helen Keller International. There was no additional external funding received for this study. The funding bodies had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.