Adolescent Reproductive Health Implementation in Public Schools in Northern Samar Philippines Towards Program Enhancement

Abstract

Aims: The present study assessed and compared the implementation of the Adolescent Reproductive Health (ARH) Program in public secondary schools of Northern Samar, focusing on policy and institutional support, curriculum integration, health and counseling services, student engagement, parental and community involvement, and program responsiveness as perceived by teenage mothers, ARH focal persons, and school heads. Study Design: This study employed a descriptive-comparative research design to analyze variations in stakeholder perspectives. Place and Duration of Study: Conducted in 45 public secondary schools in the First and Second Congressional Districts of Northern Samar, Philippines, from January to April 2025. Methodology: A total of 335 teenage mothers, 45 ARH focal persons, and 45 school heads participated in the study. Data were collected through a researcher-developed 36-item Adolescent Reproductive Health Implementation Scale (ARH-IS), which underwent expert validation and pilot testing. The instrument measured six domains of ARH program implementation. Weighted mean scores were computed to determine implementation levels, while the Kruskal–Wallis H test was applied to compare group perceptions. Results: Response rates were 97.01% for teenage mothers, 97.78% for ARH focal persons, and 100% for school heads. The overall ARH program implementation was rated moderately high (M = 3.40). However, curriculum integration (M = 3.02) and program responsiveness (M = 3.10) received the lowest scores. A significant difference in perceptions among the three groups was observed (H = 8.527, P = .014), with teenage mothers rating the implementation consistently lower than the other stakeholders. Conclusion: Although the ARH program is generally in place, disparities in implementation exist, particularly in curriculum delivery and responsiveness to adolescent needs. To address these gaps, the Department of Education in Northern Samar should intensify in-service training on adolescent-friendly pedagogies, strengthen partnerships with local health units, develop culturally responsive learning resources, and ensure participatory monitoring that includes feedback from adolescent beneficiaries—especially teenage mothers.