The Centre for Social Sciences Research (CSSR) and the  Institute for Democracy, Citizenship and Public Policy in Africa  (IDCPPA) at the University of Cape Town invite you to join us for a lunchtime seminar on 6 May 2025 at 12:45pm. The seminar will be presented by Dr Katherine Morse, Claire Tatham and Robyn Kruyer.

About the Seminar:

"How To Do" A Systematic Review with Application to Adolescent Parent, Parenting Programmes.

Adolescent pregnancy is a significant global public health issue that disproportionately affects low- and middle-income countries and is associated with health, social, and economic challenges for both mothers and children. While parenting programs have proven effective in improving outcomes for parents and children globally, there is a critical gap in tailored interventions and research specifically addressing the unique needs of adolescent parents. There is an urgent need for targeted support and updated evidence. This mixed methods systematic review aimed to address these gaps by conducting a global search of parenting programs designed for adolescent parents and making recommendations for future intervention development and research. The review's main outcomes are the characteristics of adolescent parent participants, the characteristics and components of parenting programs for adolescent parents, and the results of studies on adolescent parenting interventions. Study quality was also assessed. The review found 36 studies published between 2010 and 2021, representing 34 unique samples. Most studies were conducted in high-income countries, leading to problems with generalizability, and only nine studies were high-quality. Overall, the results point to the need for further development of parenting programs for adolescents, particularly programming that can be implemented in low-resource settings. Research quality also needs to be addressed. Existing interventions are almost entirely face-to-face, indicating a development gap for hybrid or app-based delivery. There is also a substantial lack of qualitative literature, which could add depth to our understanding of adolescent parenting needs and experiences of interventions.

Speakers

Dr Katherine Morse genuinely likes adolescents. Kath has substantial experience programming for and researching with adolescents. Whilst she never wants to do a systematic review again, this important piece of work will inform the development of an adolescent parent, parenting intervention.

Claire Tatham has nearly graduated with a MA in Development Economics and is a researcher at the Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit at the University of Cape Town.

Robyn Kruyer holds an Honours degree in Psychology and has a strong interest in working with adolescents and supporting parents and caregivers. Her passion lies in promoting positive youth development through evidence-based approaches.

 6 May 2025
 12:45 - 14:00 SAST
  CSSR Seminar Room, 4.29 Robert Leslie Social Science Building, UCT

Hosted by the Centre for Social Science Research and the Institute for Democracy, Citizenship and Public Policy in Africa