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Article History

Received: 3 September 2024

Accepted: 11 July 2025

First Online: 22 August 2025

Declarations

:

: This study followed the Declaration of Helsinki Ethical Principles for Medical Research involving human subjects. Ethical approval was obtained from the Nepal Health Research Council (NHRC) (Protocol registration number: 589/2023). Prior to data collection, participants were provided with a detailed explanation of the study’s purpose, benefits, potential risks, and estimated time of interview/discussion. The respondents were requested to provide their consent on the paper. Similarly, in addition to obtaining informed consent from the respondents, a signed assent form was sought from the parents/guardians of adolescents under 18. All the personal identifiers were replaced with codes to ensure confidentiality.

: Not applicable.

: The authors declare no competing interests.