{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,6]],"date-time":"2026-10-06T07:26:13Z","timestamp":1791271573259,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":50,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"10","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,15]],"date-time":"2024-10-15T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1728950400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Aman Community Health Program","award":["SGA 0614-01"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["SGA 0614-01"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosglobalpublichealth.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLOS Glob Public Health"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This study aimed to understand the lives of adolescents living in squatter settlements of Karachi, Pakistan regarding their assigned roles and responsibilities, health and social issues, their decision-making process, and mechanism and channels of information. An exploratory descriptive qualitative study design was employed. Purposive sampling techniques were used to carry out Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with adolescents (n = 10, Participants = 190), adolescents\u2019 parents (n = 10, Participants = 180), and In-Depth Interviews of with key adolescent stakeholders (n = 20). Adolescent stakeholder mapping was conducted for enrolling participants. The data were analysed thematically using deductive and inductive approaches. Based on gender norms parents assign specific roles and responsibilities to adolescent girls and boys. Due to societal norms, communication gap exists between adolescents and their parents. The most popular information channels are social media platforms and friends. Adolescents reported being subjected to a variety of physical, sexual, mental, social, and environmental pressures. Lack of guidance from parents, inadequate knowledge and skills to deal with physical, sexual, mental, social and environmental hazards, and misuse of social media lead to risky decisions, injuries, and social instability. This study underlines the urgent need for targeted interventions for addressing gender issues and improving adolescents\u2019 decision-making and life skills. We recommend Behavior Change Communication interventions to dismantle gender stereotypes and support a balanced domestic environment for children\u2019s education and well-being, awareness raising among parents, teachers, and healthcare providers about adolescent risks emphasizing their role in youth guidance, and advocacy for youth-led forums to co-create educational content engaging parents, educators, and health professionals focusing on life skills. These strategies would turn demographic transitions into productive dividends.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pgph.0003736","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,15]],"date-time":"2024-10-15T17:25:49Z","timestamp":1729013149000},"page":"e0003736","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pgph.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":4,"title":["Are we preparing healthy &amp; responsible adolescents? Exploratory qualitative study to understand the health and social issues of adolescent living in Karachi, Pakistan"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"4","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7074-162X","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Narjis","family":"Rizvi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sarah","family":"Saleem","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jawaria","family":"Mukhtar Ahmed","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sayyeda Ezra","family":"Reza","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rawshan","family":"Jabeen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Saleem","family":"Jessani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,15]]},"reference":[{"key":"pgph.0003736.ref001","author":"WHO","year":"2017","journal-title":"Global Accelerated Action for the Health of Adolescents (AA-HA!)\u2014Guidance to Support Country Implementation"},{"issue":"10036","key":"pgph.0003736.ref002","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2423","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(16)00579-1","article-title":"Our future: a Lancet commission on adolescent health and wellbeing","volume":"387","author":"GC Patton","year":"2016","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"pgph.0003736.ref003","first-page":"1","article-title":"Gender difference in the change of adolescents\u2019 mental health and subjective wellbeing trajectories.","author":"Y Yoon","year":"2022","journal-title":"European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry."},{"key":"pgph.0003736.ref004","volume-title":"The Promise of Adolescence: Realizing Opportunity for All Youth.","author":"National Academies of Sciences E, Medicine, Health, Medicine D, Division of B, Social S","year":"2019"},{"issue":"5","key":"pgph.0003736.ref005","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"398","DOI":"10.2471\/BLT.16.170431","article-title":"The Global strategy for women\u2019s, children\u2019s and adolescents\u2019 health (2016\u20132030): a roadmap based on evidence and country experience.","volume":"94","author":"S Kuruvilla","year":"2016","journal-title":"Bull World Health Organ"},{"issue":"10104","key":"pgph.0003736.ref006","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1792","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(17)30872-3","article-title":"Building the foundations for sustainable development: a case for global investment in the capabilities of adolescents","volume":"390","author":"P Sheehan","year":"2017","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"pgph.0003736.ref007","author":"Organization WH","journal-title":"Adolescent health in the South-East Asia Region"},{"issue":"2","key":"pgph.0003736.ref008","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"176","DOI":"10.1093\/inthealth\/ihab025","article-title":"Prevalence and predictors of teenage pregnancy in Pakistan: a trend analysis from Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey datasets from 1990 to 2018.","volume":"14","author":"A Ali","year":"2021","journal-title":"International Health."},{"key":"pgph.0003736.ref009","volume-title":"Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey 2017\u201318","author":"National Institute of Population Studies (NIPS) [Pakistan] and ICF","year":"2018"},{"key":"pgph.0003736.ref010","author":"ZA Sathar","year":"2003","journal-title":"Adolescents and youth in Pakistan 2001\u20132002: a nationally representative survey"},{"key":"pgph.0003736.ref011","article-title":"Women\u2019s autonomy, livelihood and fertility: a study of rural Punjab.","author":"ZA Sathar","year":"1997","journal-title":"Women\u2019s autonomy, livelihood and fertility: a study of rural Punjab."},{"issue":"4","key":"pgph.0003736.ref012","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"319","DOI":"10.1080\/13691050500035367","article-title":"Knowledge of personal and sexual development amongst young people in Pakistan","volume":"7","author":"M Hennink","year":"2005","journal-title":"Culture, health & sexuality."},{"key":"pgph.0003736.ref013","article-title":"Meri Awaz Suno: Analysis of Calls Received at Youth Help Line from January 2010-December 2011.","author":"R N","year":"2012","journal-title":"Rozan NGO."},{"key":"pgph.0003736.ref014","author":"V. 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