Securing their Future: How Sport for Development Programmes Empower Kenyan Adolescent Mothers Regarding their Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights

Abstract

Adolescent pregnancy is a global health problem. This study examines an important determinant of adolescent pregnancy: lack of knowledge about sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). Initiatives have been taken to prevent such pregnancies by empowering adolescent girls regarding SRHR. Such preventive initiatives include Sport for Development programmes (SfD). However, the question arises of whether preventive approaches bypass the empowerment needs of adolescent mothers. This study takes a mixed methods approach to explore how SfD programmes empower adolescent mothers regarding their SRHR and applies an empowerment theory that incorporates the role of agency and opportunity structure. This study comprises a case study of Secure Futures (SF), an SfD programme targeting adolescent mothers in the Nairobi slums. Paired t-tests were used to analyse survey data from 155 participants aged 19-30 years (M = 24.1), who gave birth in adolescence. In addition, semi-structured interviews were conducted with key stakeholders (n = 10) involved in the implementation of the programme. Paired t-tests revealed a relationship between programme participation and enhanced SRHR empowerment and knowledge. The interview findings show that SF empowers adolescent mothers regarding their SRHR by addressing both agency, through the provision of knowledge and psychosocial support, and opportunity structure, through community involvement and economic empowerment. Additionally, the findings reveal that agency and opportunity structure are interrelated in respect of their impacts on empowerment. This study also identified a relationship between economic empowerment and opportunity structure which may advance the empowerment theory. Further research may explore this relationship in more depth.