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Article History

Received: 13 February 2025

Accepted: 16 October 2025

First Online: 12 November 2025

Declarations

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: This study was conducted in accordance with the ethical principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki. Ethical approval was obtained from the University of Eastern Africa Baraton Research and Ethics Committee (B132019), with renewal under reference number UEAB/REC/02/03/2020. Written informed consent was obtained from the parents or guardians of all adolescent participants, and assent was obtained from the participants themselves – including consent for publication of de-identified results. Authorization for the study was also given by the State Department of Early Learning and Basic Education, Nairobi County Regional Commissioner, Nairobi County Education Office and the National Commission for Science Technology and Innovation (A23752). The study adhered to the ethical principles of respect for persons, beneficence, and justice, ensuring that participation was voluntary, confidential, and without coercion. Participants were informed of their right to withdraw from the study at any point without facing any repercussions. Confidentiality measures included the use of pseudonyms in transcripts and reports, secure storage of audio files, and restricted access to data by authorized research team members. Additionally, efforts were made to ensure that discussions during FGDs did not retraumatize participants. Counselling services within the school were available to provide support if any participant required psychological help. The counsellor monitored participants’ wellbeing, provided immediate support when needed, and was available for private follow-up conversations after each session. Participants were reminded that they could decline to answer questions or withdraw at any point without consequence.

: Written informed consent for publication of de-identified quotations and masked details was obtained from the parents or legal guardians of all adolescent participants, alongside written assent from the adolescents themselves. All names used in the manuscript are pseudonyms, and no real names or institutional identifiers are included.

: The authors declare no competing interests.