Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK.
Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal.
Perspect Public Health. 2024 Sep;144(5):285-296. doi: 10.1177/17579139241287673. Epub 2024 Oct 14.
This study explored how youth participatory action research (YPAR) methods, specifically play-based activities integrated with cricket, can engage adolescent girls in Nepal's Terai region to identify and address gender-related health challenges. It aimed to assess how these methods contribute to empowering girls, developing research capacities, and promoting gender equity through sports.
Three interactive workshops were held with adolescent girls forming 'Cricket Changemakers' teams. Through a combination of cricket-based activities, participatory games, and discussions, the workshops aimed to build research skills and explore gender issues in their communities. Qualitative data were gathered through observations, reflective notes, and outputs from play-based tasks. Data were analysed using framework analysis to evaluate the contribution of these activities to key YPAR processes such as power sharing, communication, and strategic thinking.
The play-based methods improved collaboration, networking, and communication among participants. The cricket activities fostered collective power and provided opportunities for girls to reflect on and challenge local gender norms. Participants identified issues including restrictions on mobility, societal expectations, and the unequal distribution of household chores. The workshops facilitated the development of research action plans focused on increasing girls' participation in cricket and shifting community perceptions of girls' roles.
The integration of play-based YPAR methods shows promise for fostering gender-transformative change among adolescent girls in Nepal. These methods created a space for girls to express challenges and co-develop strategies for social change. Findings suggest that sports-based participatory research can be a valuable tool in public health interventions for gender equity, though more work is needed to address methodological challenges and ensure meaningful participation.
本研究探讨了青年参与行动研究（YPAR）方法，特别是将基于游戏的活动与板球相结合，如何使尼泊尔特赖地区的青少年女孩参与进来，以确定和解决与性别相关的健康挑战。其目的是评估这些方法如何通过体育来增强女孩的权能、培养研究能力和促进性别平等。
与组成“板球变革者”团队的青少年女孩一起举办了三次互动研讨会。通过一系列基于板球的活动、参与性游戏和讨论，这些研讨会旨在培养研究技能，并探讨她们所在社区的性别问题。通过观察、反思性笔记和基于游戏的任务产出收集定性数据。使用框架分析对数据进行分析，以评估这些活动对 YPAR 关键过程（如权力分享、沟通和战略思维）的贡献。
基于游戏的方法提高了参与者之间的协作、网络联系和沟通。板球活动培养了集体权力，并为女孩们提供了反思和挑战当地性别规范的机会。参与者确定了一些问题，包括行动受限、社会期望以及家务分配不均等。这些研讨会促进了以增加女孩参与板球和改变社区对女孩角色的看法为重点的研究行动计划的制定。
将基于游戏的 YPAR 方法相结合，有望在尼泊尔促进青少年女孩的性别变革。这些方法为女孩们表达挑战和共同制定社会变革策略创造了空间。研究结果表明，基于体育的参与式研究可以成为促进性别平等的公共卫生干预措施的一个有价值的工具，但需要做更多的工作来解决方法学挑战并确保有意义的参与。
