“Please Spend More Time With Us”: Qualitative Insights Into Caregiver‐Adolescent Meaningful Engagement With Pan‐African Families

ABSTRACT Background Caregiver–adolescent relationships are essential for healthy development, yet how meaningful engagement is defined and enacted in low‐income settings remains underexplored. Objective This qualitative study investigates meaningful engagement between caregivers and adolescents living in low‐income households from eight Southern, Eastern, and Central African countries, all residing in South Africa. Methods Using thematic analysis of focus group discussions with 48 caregivers and adolescents (24 dyads), the study explored perceptions, practices, and barriers to meaningful caregiver–adolescent engagement. Results Findings revealed a misalignment in how meaningful engagement was understood. Caregivers predominantly evaluated engagement through responsibility, behavior, and future security, whereas adolescents emphasized emotional availability, shared time, and responsive communication. Engagement was largely enacted through brief, task‐based interactions embedded in household routines, with limited opportunities for relational or playful connection. Communication functioned as a key enabling process, while harsh physical discipline consistently undermined engagement by generating fear, withdrawal, and relational harm. Conclusion In resource‐constrained contexts, meaningful caregiver–adolescent engagement is co‐constructed through everyday interactions but is frequently constrained by time scarcity and mismatched expectations. Implications Findings identify actionable targets for adolescent‐focused parenting support, including strengthening engaged and responsive caregiving by improving communication, reducing reliance on harsh discipline, and helping caregivers build small micro‐moments of connection into existing routines rather than requiring additional time or resources.