IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL TECHNIQUES:

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Table 3.8: Summary of Research Questions and Methods of Data Analysis According to Programme and Evaluation Objectives

Programme Objectives

Evaluation Objectives

Research Questions

Hypotheses Respondents/

Source of Data

Instruments Analysis

1 3a 3 - FGC victims FGC-FGD Descriptive analysis

of frequency

4 6 & 7 - Female adolescents

and young adults in intervention

FGCKT, FGCARS, FGC-PERS and FGC-IPRS

Multiple regression

5 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5 Female adolescents and young adults in intervention and non- intervention LGAs

“  ANOVA

 Independent t-test

2 1i 1a - Programme trainees FGC-IDI Descriptive analysis

of frequency

1ii 1b

3 3b 4, 5 & 8 -  Female

adolescents and young adults in intervention and no intervention LGAs

 Female adolescents and young adults in intervention LGAs

 Programme trainees and FGC victims

 FGCKT, FGCARS, PERS and FGC-IPRS

 FGC-UDTRS and FGC-VCRS

 Descriptive analysis of frequency

 Chi-square

 Independent t-test

 Simple Linear Regression

2 2a and 2b - FGC victims FGC-FGD Descriptive analysis

of frequency

4 1iii 1c - Programme trainees FGC-IDI Descriptive analysis

of frequency

5 1iv 1d

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considering that obtaining consent from each respondent‟s parents and from them also may elongate the period allotted for data collection. The instrument administrator also signed acknowledging prior persons signatures and their willingness for their pupils to be part of the study. Adolescents of older ages i.e. 20 to 24 years on the other hand were allowed to read and sign the informed consent form after necessary clarifications.

Similar procedures of obtaining informed consent for in-school adolescents were also adopted for out of school adolescents; this involved chairpersons of artisan and market women associations, as well as religious group leaders. A letter introducing the researcher and the aim of the study were presented to significant persons and informed consent form as well as a compilation of the instruments was presented for necessary persons‟ perusal and eventual signature. With the permission of significant persons, out of school young adults were allowed to read the informed consent or had it read out to them. Clarifications were made where necessary and signatures and or thumbprints were appended as required. For FGC-IDI and FGC-FGD respondents, a letter of introduction was presented to the Primary Health Centre (PHC) Coordinators for each MHC that had a programme trainee. The letter also covered focus group discussion sessions that were carried out at the PHC/MHCCs; and the FGC-VCRS which were administered to females with FGC. Informed consents were verbally obtained from the FGC-IDI respondents, while a representative of each FGC focus group signed or thumb printed on behalf of other group members and the PHC coordinator signed as witnesses.

Issues of confidentiality and privacy were observed as necessitated for all categories of respondents or participants. For the FGC-IDIs, interviews were conducted at the convenience of the HCPs/programme trainees and at venues of their choice. This was done so that interviewees would not have extensive prior knowledge of questions that have been asked from earlier interviewees. Also for venue of their choice, this was agreed to in order to safe guard any information relating to the running and management of the PHCs which may be considered as important information which is not meant for public consumption. The quantitative respondents especially in-school respondents of secondary school age after selection were re-located to quite areas on the school premises. This was to ensure that they are not distracted by their peers, and that their responses to the various items are not influenced. For in-school young adults and out-of-school respondents, they made the choice of time and venue for the administration of the instruments.

97 3.12. Methodological Challenges

As various issues relating to human health are discussed leisurely and without restrictions, the practice of FGC is not considered as one of such issues especially as it relates to females. Thus, in order to get the target population to take part actively in the discussion sessions as well as respond truthfully to items of the various instruments, the researcher and members of her team embarked on pre-visits to schools, maternal health centres, various artisan associations and markets that were selected for the study. A brief explanation of the study was given with the aims and objectives serving as reference points.

Convincing out of school female adolescents and young adults to respond to the FGC questionnaire was a little difficult. This was due to respondents‟ sense of insecurity considering the country‟s state of security, and that most times interventions of any sort have never needed filling questionnaires as was required on this study. Faced with several of these situations, the researcher and members of the team solicited help of significant persons within artisan groups or similar groups to access out of school adolescents. Similar approach was used at the PHCs where focus group discussions and responding to the FGC-VCRS were carried out. Also, in order to gain access to respondents who are traders, market leaders were co-opted into the mobilisation exercise and this facilitated selection of respondents.

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CHAPTER FOUR

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

The results obtained from qualitative and quantitative data are presented in this chapter.

Based on the five (5) evaluation objectives for the study, this chapter discussed the results obtained from the statistical analysis of data according to the eight (8) research questions and five (5) hypotheses formulated for the study.

4.1. Research Question 1: What are the characteristics of the programme trainees/Health