Teaching life skills through arts; an option for adolescent health promotion in resource poor settings

Abstract

Background Life skills prepare teenagers to face challenges in daily life. This study describes a novel art based life skills training programme that takes vulnerabilities and available opportunities for individual participant into account, to promote health of adolescents in resource poor settings. Methods A 2 hour session with two drawing activities followed by facilitated discussion was conducted for 42 students aging 13 to 16 years at a rural school. Drawings of the students were observed and themes were identified. Observation memos were documented during discussions and drawing activities. Anonymous written Feedback obtained at the end was analyzed thematically and triangulated with observations. Results Enthusiastic participation across all age groups was observed. The programme was described as interesting, clear and motivating. Students getting an understanding on applicability of life skills to overcome their personal challenges were observed during discussion and through feedback. Conclution The programme requires minimum resources and can provide an individualized active life skill learning opportunity to adolescents in low resource settings. Long term outcomes need to be assessed objectively.