Nabunya, Nartey, Iwelunmor Awarded the 2025 OVCR Seed Grant for Interdisciplinary Research

Dr. Proscovia Nabunya (ICHAD Director), Ms. Portia Nartey (Brown School Doctoral Student and ICHAD Research Associate), and Dr. Juliet Iwelunmor (Professor of Medicine at WashU), were recently awarded the 2025 OVCR Seed Grant for Interdisciplinary Research. Under the mentorship of Drs. Nabunya and Iwelunmor, Ms. Nartey will use the funding to explore the prevalence and predictors of sexual risk behaviors in Ghanaian adolescent girls by examining insights from both mothers and daughters.

The need for this research is significant, as approximately 1 in 10 Ghanaian adolescent girls initiate sexual activity before the age of fifteen. Early sexual debut increases the likelihood of engagement in risky sexual behaviors, which exposes them to HIV/STIs risks and teenage pregnancies. The study will be conducted in the Eastern Region of Ghana, which has a high rate of poverty and sexual risk-taking behaviors among young people. Specifically, the study will: 1) determine the prevalence of sexual risk behaviors among adolescent girls; and 2) explore the barriers and facilitators influencing sexual and reproductive health education and communication between mothers and their daughters. By focusing on mother-daughter dynamics, the study offers a novel, culturally-responsive approach to understanding how family interactions shape adolescent behaviors. The study will be conducted in collaboration with scholars from the University of Ghana.