Funding outcome

One in five Canadians is foreign born. In 2016, over 300,000 immigrants arrived in Canada, the largest number since 1971. Alberta is a major destination province for immigrants in Canada. Immigrant adolescents make up a substantial proportion of newcomers to Canada. Adolescence is a time to establish lifelong health behaviours, and research indicates an alarming gap in youths' sexual and reproductive health (SRH) knowledge. Despite the importance of immigrants in Canadian society, there is a scarcity of research on the SRH needs of immigrant adolescents in the country. To the best of our knowledge, there are no studies on SRH information needs of adolescents in Alberta. To address this gap we will examine the SRH information needs and priorities of South Asian immigrant adolescents in Alberta. This research project will be conducted in four stages: Stage 1: First, an adolescent advisory group (AAG) will be formed. The goal of the AAG will be to participate in data collection, data analysis, and dissemination of study findings through presentations and paper publications in peer reviewed journals. Stage 2: We will conduct a scoping review of literature on SRH needs and outcomes of SA immigrant adolescents in Canada. Stage 3: Based on the findings from scoping review, we will use a semi-structured interview schedule to conduct four to five focus group discussions with adolescents, parents and member of immigrant service agency. Stage 4: Finally, we will evaluate the adolescent engagement process in this project The findings of the study will guide to prioritize future research and to develop tailored strategies for immigrant adolescents to optimize adolescents SRH outcomes.