A qualitative exploration of high school dropout and retention among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in South Africa

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dc.contributor.advisorKnight, Lucia
dc.contributor.advisorDuby, Zoe
dc.contributor.authorKleinhans, Crystal
dc.date.accessioned2025-11-26T13:48:55Z
dc.date.available2025-11-26T13:48:55Z
dc.date.issued2025
dc.date.updated2025-11-26T13:44:00Z
dc.description.abstractIn South Africa high school attrition and disengagement rates have been problematic for the past decade with adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) more likely to dropout of school than their male counterparts, especially those AGYW from socio-economically disadvantaged communities. Increased levels of education, a social determinant of health, strongly correlates with better health outcomes for youth. The disengagement and dropout of AGYW in high school is a public health concern. AGYW are at a greater risk of HIV infection and other sexually transmitted infection (STI) due to biological, cultural, religious, socio-economic and structural factors, and efforts to increase their retention and completion of high school, a protective factor, will increase the likelihood of better health outcomes in this population group. This study was a qualitative analysis of AGYW and stakeholders across five provinces from urban, semi-urban and rural districts. The transcripts were thematically analysed to explore the perceptions of and attitudes to high school completion and dropout and the factors which may contribute to either. Findings revealed that AGYW valued their high school education and associated it with future success and independence but several context specific factors on the individual, interpersonal and institutional levels influenced their retention and likelihood of dropping out of high school. An understanding of the multiple factors which influence high school dropout and retention, as indicated on the different levels of the socio-ecological model, may inform more target specific interventions to increase the retention and completion of high school of AGYW in South Africa.
dc.identifier.apacitationKleinhans, C. (2025). <i>A qualitative exploration of high school dropout and retention among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in South Africa</i>. (). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Health Sciences ,Department of Public Health and Family Medicine. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42361en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationKleinhans, Crystal. <i>"A qualitative exploration of high school dropout and retention among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in South Africa."</i> ., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Health Sciences ,Department of Public Health and Family Medicine, 2025. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42361en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationKleinhans, C. 2025. A qualitative exploration of high school dropout and retention among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in South Africa. . University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Health Sciences ,Department of Public Health and Family Medicine. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42361en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Kleinhans, Crystal AB - In South Africa high school attrition and disengagement rates have been problematic for the past decade with adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) more likely to dropout of school than their male counterparts, especially those AGYW from socio-economically disadvantaged communities. Increased levels of education, a social determinant of health, strongly correlates with better health outcomes for youth. The disengagement and dropout of AGYW in high school is a public health concern. AGYW are at a greater risk of HIV infection and other sexually transmitted infection (STI) due to biological, cultural, religious, socio-economic and structural factors, and efforts to increase their retention and completion of high school, a protective factor, will increase the likelihood of better health outcomes in this population group. This study was a qualitative analysis of AGYW and stakeholders across five provinces from urban, semi-urban and rural districts. The transcripts were thematically analysed to explore the perceptions of and attitudes to high school completion and dropout and the factors which may contribute to either. Findings revealed that AGYW valued their high school education and associated it with future success and independence but several context specific factors on the individual, interpersonal and institutional levels influenced their retention and likelihood of dropping out of high school. An understanding of the multiple factors which influence high school dropout and retention, as indicated on the different levels of the socio-ecological model, may inform more target specific interventions to increase the retention and completion of high school of AGYW in South Africa. DA - 2025 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town KW - AGYW KW - South Africa KW - School LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2025 T1 - A qualitative exploration of high school dropout and retention among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in South Africa TI - A qualitative exploration of high school dropout and retention among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in South Africa UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42361 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/42361
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationKleinhans C. A qualitative exploration of high school dropout and retention among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in South Africa. []. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Health Sciences ,Department of Public Health and Family Medicine, 2025 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42361en_ZA
dc.language.isoen
dc.language.rfc3066eng
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Public Health and Family Medicine
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Health Sciences
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subjectAGYW
dc.subjectSouth Africa
dc.subjectSchool
dc.titleA qualitative exploration of high school dropout and retention among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in South Africa
dc.typeThesis / Dissertation
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationlevelMPH
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