ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the questions by assessing the accuracy and representativeness of both qualitative and quantitative impact data collected within the MEMA kwa Vijana randomised controlled trial, which had an extraordinarily large qualitative research component. At the time of the trial, the Tanzanian education and health systems were some of the most disadvantaged in the world, characterised by extremely limited resources and professional capacities. The qualitative research found that, at the end of the trial, the vast majority of intervention programme participants had better knowledge of the risks and benefits of condom use than their control counterparts. In contrast, triangulation of qualitative, survey interview, and biomedical data raised serious concerns about the accuracy of self-reported adolescent sexual behaviour in general, and in structured, quantitative interviews. The chapter demonstrates that interpretive qualitative research, particularly carefully designed and conducted ethnographic research, can provide nuanced, valid and representative findings that provides valuable evidence to improve programme design and implementation in the future.
