Can Social Protection Improve Sustainable Development Goals for Adolescent Health?

The first policy action outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is the implementation of national social protection systems. This study assesses whether social protection provision can impact 17 indicators of five key health-related SDG goals amongst adolescents in South Africa.We condu...

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Main Authors: Lucie D Cluver, F Mark Orkin, Franziska Meinck, Mark E Boyes, Alexa R Yakubovich, Lorraine Sherr
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2016-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5066949?pdf=render
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author Lucie D Cluver
F Mark Orkin
Franziska Meinck
Mark E Boyes
Alexa R Yakubovich
Lorraine Sherr
author_facet Lucie D Cluver
F Mark Orkin
Franziska Meinck
Mark E Boyes
Alexa R Yakubovich
Lorraine Sherr
author_sort Lucie D Cluver
collection DOAJ
description The first policy action outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is the implementation of national social protection systems. This study assesses whether social protection provision can impact 17 indicators of five key health-related SDG goals amongst adolescents in South Africa.We conducted a longitudinal survey of adolescents (10-18 years) between 2009 and 2012. Census areas were randomly selected in two urban and two rural health districts in two South African provinces, including all homes with a resident adolescent. Household receipt of social protection in the form of 'cash' (economic provision) and 'care' (psychosocial support) social protection, and health-related indicators within five SDG goals were assessed. Gender-disaggregated analyses included multivariate logistic regression, testing for interactions between social protection and socio-demographic covariates, and marginal effects models.Social protection was associated with significant adolescent risk reductions in 12 of 17 gender-disaggregated SDG indicators, spanning SDG 2 (hunger); SDG 3 (AIDS, tuberculosis, mental health and substance abuse); SDG 4 (educational access); SDG 5 (sexual exploitation, sexual and reproductive health); and SDG 16 (violence perpetration). For six of 17 indicators, combined cash plus care showed enhanced risk reduction effects. Two interactions showed that effects of care varied by poverty level for boys' hunger and girls' school dropout. For tuberculosis, and for boys' sexual exploitation and girls' mental health and violence perpetration, no effects were found and more targeted or creative means will be needed to reach adolescents on these challenging burdens.National social protection systems are not a panacea, but findings suggest that they have multiple and synergistic positive associations with adolescent health outcomes. Such systems may help us rise to the challenges of health and sustainable development.
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spelling doaj.art-1db96adf65f5492abc2507a1e8ec6ac92022-12-22T00:27:29ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032016-01-011110e016480810.1371/journal.pone.0164808Can Social Protection Improve Sustainable Development Goals for Adolescent Health?Lucie D CluverF Mark OrkinFranziska MeinckMark E BoyesAlexa R YakubovichLorraine SherrThe first policy action outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is the implementation of national social protection systems. This study assesses whether social protection provision can impact 17 indicators of five key health-related SDG goals amongst adolescents in South Africa.We conducted a longitudinal survey of adolescents (10-18 years) between 2009 and 2012. Census areas were randomly selected in two urban and two rural health districts in two South African provinces, including all homes with a resident adolescent. Household receipt of social protection in the form of 'cash' (economic provision) and 'care' (psychosocial support) social protection, and health-related indicators within five SDG goals were assessed. Gender-disaggregated analyses included multivariate logistic regression, testing for interactions between social protection and socio-demographic covariates, and marginal effects models.Social protection was associated with significant adolescent risk reductions in 12 of 17 gender-disaggregated SDG indicators, spanning SDG 2 (hunger); SDG 3 (AIDS, tuberculosis, mental health and substance abuse); SDG 4 (educational access); SDG 5 (sexual exploitation, sexual and reproductive health); and SDG 16 (violence perpetration). For six of 17 indicators, combined cash plus care showed enhanced risk reduction effects. Two interactions showed that effects of care varied by poverty level for boys' hunger and girls' school dropout. For tuberculosis, and for boys' sexual exploitation and girls' mental health and violence perpetration, no effects were found and more targeted or creative means will be needed to reach adolescents on these challenging burdens.National social protection systems are not a panacea, but findings suggest that they have multiple and synergistic positive associations with adolescent health outcomes. Such systems may help us rise to the challenges of health and sustainable development.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5066949?pdf=render
spellingShingle Lucie D Cluver
F Mark Orkin
Franziska Meinck
Mark E Boyes
Alexa R Yakubovich
Lorraine Sherr
Can Social Protection Improve Sustainable Development Goals for Adolescent Health?
PLoS ONE
title Can Social Protection Improve Sustainable Development Goals for Adolescent Health?
title_full Can Social Protection Improve Sustainable Development Goals for Adolescent Health?
title_fullStr Can Social Protection Improve Sustainable Development Goals for Adolescent Health?
title_full_unstemmed Can Social Protection Improve Sustainable Development Goals for Adolescent Health?
title_short Can Social Protection Improve Sustainable Development Goals for Adolescent Health?
title_sort can social protection improve sustainable development goals for adolescent health
url http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5066949?pdf=render
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