Straight Talk Campaign in Uganda: Parent Survey

"Discussions between parents and children about sexual issues can clarify expected behavior, enable parents to communicate their values, and provide a chance to educate and inform the child. While some studies have mixed results, most research shows that parent-child communication is associated with healthier sexual decision making, delayed onset of sex, and greater likelihood of having protected sex among those who are sexually active. Parent-child communication can foster a sense of caring between parents, create a supportive environment, and strengthen the connectedness between parents and children."

Based on observations such as those reflected in above excerpt, the Straight Talk Foundation (STF) has been working since 1993 to communicate with Uganda's adolescents, using strategies such as multilingual Straight Talk (ST) radio programmes, multilingual ST newspapers for adolescents in secondary schools, and Young Talk (YT) newspapers for students in primary schools. This 20-page evaluation report explores the impact of STF's strategy of moving from an initial focus on adolescents, solely, to an increased emphasis on activities for parents, teachers, and other adults significant to the lives of Ugandan adolescents. [Editor's note: This is one of four background documents to the final report, "The Straight Talk Campaign in Uganda: Impact of Mass Media Initiatives".]

As explained here, in June 2004, STF embarked on an English-language newspaper called Parent Talk; 2 years later, prints in 4 other languages were produced. Also, in 2005, STF began broadcasting a half-hour parent-centred weekly radio programme, which (as of this writing) airs in 6 languages: Luganda, 4Rs, Lukonzo, Lugbara, Lwo, and Lumasaba. STF is also encouraging parents to form Parents Clubs. In addition, STF also conducts activities in schools, focusing on training teachers to foster a youth-friendly school environment.

To evaluate this approach for fostering parent-child communication, the United-States-based non-governmental organisation (NGO) Horizons and the Uganda-based Straight Talk Foundation (STF) research teams [with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Department for International Development (DFID)] interviewed 678 mothers and fathers with adolescents between 10 and 19 years of age. For the purpose of this study, districts receiving just the English newspapers and radio show are characterised as "low intensity", whereas those receiving the English-language papers and radio shows as well as the local language newspaper and radio show are characterised as "high intensity".

In short, the study found that parents are an important audience for STF materials - with about 60% having been exposed (mostly to local language STF radio shows). However, organisers find that parents still need considerable help talking to their children about adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) issues: about half had ever talked to their adolescent children about growing up and staying safe, but 55% preferred that the child go elsewhere for this conversation. More positively, there was a direct correlation between parental exposure to STF materials (residing in a high-intensity district) and the parent having talked with the child: 56% of those in high-intensity districts had had such a talk, compared to 40% of those in low-intensity districts. In the authors' words, "This suggests that STF efforts to help parents talk to their children are essential."

Results also show an inter-generational effect: those whose parents had ever talked to them about growing up and staying safe during the respondent's own adolescence were twice as likely to have talked to their own adolescents about ASRH. "This implies that the efforts parents invest in today, will make it simpler for their children to talk with their own children in the future."