Hearing the unheard voice‐puberty experiences of young Pakistani men: A qualitative study

Shivji, Noureen A.; Lymn, Joanne S.; Meade, Oonagh; Watts, Kim

Abstract

Introduction: Puberty experiences of male adolescents can have significant impacts on physical and psychological health outcomes. This qualitative study explored the puberty experiences of young males in Pakistan, as there are limited accounts of what shapes these puberty experiences, especially for adolescent males living in a restrictive culture. Methods: Twenty-two young Pakistani men (aged 18–21 years) from two urban sites in Karachi participated in individual face-to-face (n=19) and Skype (n=3) interviews. Qualitative thematic analysis was conducted using an inductive approach to identity and examine the patterns emerging from the data. Results: Participants described puberty as a challenging phase for which they were unprepared with a combination of various socio-cultural factors exposing them to negative impacts. As a result, young men expressed feelings of anxiety, embarrassment and isolation. Societal and gender norms around masculinity, sexuality and the roles and responsibilities of young men had a significant impact on how participants experienced puberty. While negative reactions towards puberty were dominant, participants described adopting coping strategies (e.g. social support) to help them deal with negative experiences. Conclusions: Findings highlight the significance of culturally appropriate puberty education and various facilitating factors that may improve the puberty experiences for future young men. While extending current literature, this study also identifies key factors that could inform the development of health promotion programmes, which may aid adolescent males’ puberty transition and positively influence their long-term health, well-being and identity.

Citation

Shivji, N. A., Lymn, J. S., Meade, O., & Watts, K. (2021). Hearing the unheard voice‐puberty experiences of young Pakistani men: A qualitative study. Journal of Adolescence, 88(1), 36-47. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2021.02.003

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Feb 8, 2021
• Online Publication Date: Feb 18, 2021
• Publication Date: 2021-04
• Deposit Date: Jan 21, 2023
• Journal: Journal of Adolescence
• Print ISSN: 0140-1971
• Electronic ISSN: 1095-9254
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 88
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 36-47
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2021.02.003
• Keywords: Psychiatry and Mental health; Developmental and Educational Psychology; Social Psychology; Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/16351981
• Publisher URL: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1016/j.adolescence.2021.02.003