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Assessing Reasons for School/College Dropout Among Young Adults and Implications for Awareness about STDs and HIV/AIDS: Findings from a Population-Based Study in Karachi, Pakistan

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Abstract

Background

Dropping out of school/college not only impedes economic prosperity but may also result in poor knowledge and awareness about sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).

Purpose

This study investigated, among young adults in Karachi, Pakistan, the risk factors associated with involuntary school/college dropout and the implications for awareness about HIV/AIDS and STDs.

Method

A population-based, cross-sectional study of 1,650 young males and females, aged 17–21 years and living in Karachi, was conducted using a structured questionnaire. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed separately for males and females.

Results

Females were twice as likely to drop out of school/college as males. Furthermore, migrant residential status, living in an extended family and lower socio-economic status were identified as risk factors for school/college dropout both for males and females. In the total sample, only 17% of males and 13% of females had heard of STDs (p = 0.020). Furthermore, 26.8% of males and 20.5% of females had not heard of HIV/AIDS (p = 0.003). The females exhibited a higher level of awareness on these matters than the males, irrespective of whether they had dropped out of school or not. While the males who dropped out were considerably less aware than those who remained at school, there was no such difference among females.

Conclusion

Young adults from poor families are at increased risk of dropping out of school/college. Among the dropouts, males were clearly at risk of ignorance about STDs while females were somewhat better informed.

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Acknowledgements

We sincerely want to thank the participating adolescents for sharing with us the information required for this study, as well as the interviewers who collected the data in a professional manner. This study was supported by grants from SIDA/Sarec, and we are also grateful to the Swedish Institute for support given to the first author.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Community Health Sciences, The Aga Khan University, Stadium Road, PO Box 3500, Karachi, 74800, Pakistan

    Syed Farid-ul-Hasnain

  2. Division of Global Health (IHCAR), Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden

    Syed Farid-ul-Hasnain & Gunilla Krantz

  3. Department of Community Medicine and Public Health, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden

    Gunilla Krantz

Authors
  1. Syed Farid-ul-Hasnain
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  2. Gunilla Krantz
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Correspondence to Syed Farid-ul-Hasnain.

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Farid-ul-Hasnain, S., Krantz, G. Assessing Reasons for School/College Dropout Among Young Adults and Implications for Awareness about STDs and HIV/AIDS: Findings from a Population-Based Study in Karachi, Pakistan. Int.J. Behav. Med. 18, 122–130 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12529-010-9074-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12529-010-9074-0

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