Youth Empowerment - Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) is a multi-item measure of empowerment among youth, covering 6 subscales: violence attitudes, digital connectedness, work and earnings, health facility access major asset ownership and reproductive health knowledge.
Geographies Tested: Ethiopia,Haiti,Malawi,Mali,Nepal,Nigeria,Philippines,Senegal,Uganda,Zambia
Populations Included: Female, Male
Age Range: Adolescents
Violence Attitudes
1. Wife beating is justified if:
a. Wife goes out without telling
husband
b. Wife neglects the children
c. Wife argues with husband
d. Wife refuses to have sex with
husband
e. Wife burns the food
Digital Connectedness: Banking and Internet
2. Owns a mobile telephone.
3. Uses mobile phone for financial
transactions.
4. Has an account in a bank or other
financial institution.
Response Options:
Yes
No
5. Use of internet
Response Options:
Never
Yes but not in last 12 months
Yes in last 12 months
6. Frequency of internet use in last month:
Response Options:
Not at all
Less than once a week
At least once a week
Almost every day
Work and Earnings
7. Currently working
Response Options:
Yes
No
8. Worked in last 12 months
Response Options:
No
In past year but not currently
Currently working
9. Earnings:
Response Options:
No earnings
In-kind earnings
Cash
Health Facility Access
10. The following is a big problem to
get medical advice/treatment
when sick:
a. Getting permission to go.
b. Getting money needed for
treatment.
c. Distance to health facility.
d. Not wanting to go alone.
Response Options:
Big problem
Not a problem
Major Asset Ownership
11. Owns house alone or jointly.
12. Owns land alone or jointly.
Response Options:
Yes
No
Reproductive health knowledge
13. Knows ovulatory cycle.
14. Knows postpartum fecundability.
Response Options:
Yes
No
15. Knowledge of contraceptive methods
Response Options:
None
Only traditional/folkloric method
Modern method
The mean of the item responses is calculated.
MacQuarrie, K. L. D. (2021). Measuring youth empowerment. DHS Working Papers No. 179. Rockville, Maryland, USA: ICF.
Psychometric Score
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Qualitative Research
Existing Literature/Theoretical Framework
Field Expert Input
Cognitive Interviews / Pilot Testing
Internal
Test-retest
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