Non-Partner Violence in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Built Environment: A Multicountry Analysis of the Effects of Sanitation, Water Access, and Urban Settings

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (10) ◽  
pp. 1101-1119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francis Barchi ◽  
Samantha C. Winter

This multicountry study used Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) data from 138,097 women to explore the relationship between non-partner violence (NPV) and sanitation, water, and urbanization in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). One out of 15 women reports having experienced physical and/or sexual violence by a non-partner during the previous 12 months; within the region, prevalence ranges from 2.3-11.3%. Explanatory models of NPV improve in 11 of the 20 countries when the built environment variables are included. The results suggest that sanitation and water access are associated with risk of NPV in a number of countries in the region, particularly in urban settings.

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. C. Greene ◽  
J. C. Kane ◽  
W. A. Tol

Background:Alcohol use is a well-documented risk factor for intimate partner violence (IPV); however, the majority of research comes from high-income countries.Methods:Using nationally representative data from 86 024 women that participated in the Demographic and Health Surveys, we evaluated the relationship between male partner alcohol use and experiencing IPV in 14 countries in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Using multilevel mixed-effects models, we calculated the within-country, between-country, and contextual effects of alcohol use on IPV.Results:Prevalence of partner alcohol use and IPV ranged substantially across countries (3–62 and 11–60%, respectively). Partner alcohol use was associated with a significant increase in the odds of reporting IPV for all 14 countries included in this analysis. Furthermore, the relationship between alcohol use and IPV, although largely explained by partner alcohol use, was also attributable to overall prevalence of alcohol use in a given country. The partner alcohol use–IPV relationship was moderated by socioeconomic status (SES): among women with a partner who used alcohol those with lower SES had higher odds of experiencing IPV than women with higher SES.Conclusions:Results of this study suggest that partner alcohol use is a robust correlate of IPV in SSA; however, drinking norms may independently relate to IPV and confound the relationship between partner alcohol use and IPV. These findings motivate future research employing experimental and longitudinal designs to examine alcohol use as a modifiable risk factor of IPV and as a novel target for treatment and prevention research to reduce IPV in SSA.


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. e003773
Author(s):  
Edward Kwabena Ameyaw ◽  
Yusuf Olushola Kareem ◽  
Bright Opoku Ahinkorah ◽  
Abdul-Aziz Seidu ◽  
Sanni Yaya

BackgroundAbout 31 million children in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) suffer from immunisation preventable diseases yearly and more than half a million children die because of lack of access to immunisation. Immunisation coverage has stagnated at 72% in SSA over the past 6 years. Due to evidence that full immunisation of children may be determined by place of residence, this study aimed at investigating the rural–urban differential in full childhood immunisation in SSA.MethodsThe data used for this study consisted of 26 241 children pooled from 23 Demographic and Health Surveys conducted between 2010 and 2018 in SSA. We performed a Poisson regression analysis with robust Standard Errors (SEs) to determine the factors associated with full immunisation status for rural and urban children. Likewise, a multivariate decomposition analysis for non-linear response model was used to examine the contribution of the covariates to the observed rural and urban differential in full childhood immunisation. All analyses were performed using Stata software V.15.0 and associations with a p<0.05 were considered statistically significant.ResultsMore than half of children in urban settings were fully immunised (52.8%) while 59.3% of rural residents were not fully immunised. In all, 76.5% of rural–urban variation in full immunisation was attributable to differences in child and maternal characteristics. Household wealth was an important component contributing to the rural–urban gap. Specifically, richest wealth status substantially accounted for immunisation disparity (35.7%). First and sixth birth orders contributed 7.3% and 14.9%, respectively, towards the disparity while 7.9% of the disparity was attributable to distance to health facility.ConclusionThis study has emphasised the rural–urban disparity in childhood immunisation, with children in the urban settings more likely to complete immunisation. Subregional, national and community-level interventions to obviate this disparity should target children in rural settings, those from poor households and women who have difficulties in accessing healthcare facilities due to distance.


Author(s):  
Yaqing Gao ◽  
Yinping Wang ◽  
Xiaoyi Mi ◽  
Mo Zhou ◽  
Siyu Zou ◽  
...  

Intimate partner violence (IPV) against women is a major public health problem and is widespread in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). However, little is known about its environmental determinants. This study aimed to investigate whether inadequate living conditions are associated with IPV victimization in women in SSA. We analyzed cross-sectional data for 102,714 women in 25 SSA countries obtained from the Demographic and Health Surveys Program. Logistic regression was used to estimate the country-specific effects of inadequate living conditions (housing with at least one of four characteristics of unimproved water, unimproved sanitation, insufficient space, and unfinished materials) on multiple forms of IPV. Random effects meta-analysis was used to combined the country-specific estimates. We found an association between inadequate living conditions and a higher likelihood of experiencing any (OR = 1.12, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.23, p = 0.012), sexual (OR = 1.18, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.34, p = 0.008), emotional (OR = 1.12, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.23, p = 0.023), and physical (OR = 1.15, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.28, p = 0.010) IPV. The associations were stronger for rural and less-educated women. These findings suggest that future research to establish a causal link between living conditions and IPV and to elucidate the underlying pathways is crucial to design IPV interventions in SSA.


2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 67-83
Author(s):  
Ekpenyong M.S. ◽  
Tawari E. P.2

Alcohol-related intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious public health issue which has attracted a lot of research and debates. While some studies have reported the relationship between alcohol and IPV to be linear, others have reported threshold effects. While some studies have found the link to be strong, others have reported it to be weak or to show no association. The aim of this study was to determine the possible moderators on the alcohol-IPV link in sub-Saharan Africa. For the quantitative study, secondary analysis and meta-analysis were used to analyze cross-sectional data from the demographic and health surveys of ten countries in sub-Saharan Africa (Burkina Faso, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Nigeria, Sao Tome and Principe, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe). Logistic regression analysis of possible moderators of the alcohol-IPV link was determined in ten sub-Saharan African countries. The nature of moderation was different among countries. The results of this study can be applied in planning country-specific and multi-faceted intervention programmes.


2021 ◽  
Vol 79 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Gyan Aboagye ◽  
Abdul-Aziz Seidu ◽  
Bernard Yeboah-Asiamah Asare ◽  
Prince Peprah ◽  
Isaac Yeboah Addo ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Justification of intimate partner violence (IPV) is one of the critical factors that account for the high prevalence of IPV among women. In this study, we examined the association between exposure to interparental violence and IPV justification among women in sexual unions in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Methods Data for this study were obtained from the most recent Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) of 26 countries in SSA conducted between 2010 and 2020. A total of 112,953 women in sexual unions were included in this study. A multivariable binary logistic regression analysis was carried out. The results of the regression analysis were presented using crude odds ratios (cOR) and adjusted odds ratios (aOR) with their respective 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results The prevalence of interparental violence in the countries considered in this study was 23.8%, with the highest (40.8%) and lowest (4.9%) in Burundi and Comoros, respectively. IPV justification was 45.8%, with the highest and lowest prevalence in Mali (80.9%) and South Africa (4.6%) respectively. Women who were exposed to interparental violence were more likely to justify IPV compared to those who were not exposed [aOR = 1.53, 95% CI = 1.47–1.59]. We found higher odds of justification of IPV among women who were exposed to interparental violence compared to those who were not exposed in all the countries, except Burkina Faso, Comoros, Gambia, and Rwanda. Conclusion The findings call for several strategies for addressing interparental violence. These may include empowerment services targeting both men and women, formation of stronger social networks to improve women’s self-confidence, and the provision of evidence-based information and resources at the community level. These interventions should pay critical attention to young people exposed to interparental violence. Public health education and messaging should emphasise on the negative health and social implications of interparental violence and IPV.


2021 ◽  
pp. 073889422110508
Author(s):  
Leila Demarest ◽  
Roos Haer

How does interethnic marriage influence the occurrence of ethnic violence in sub-Saharan Africa? Previous studies on the relationship between intergroup contact and conflict onset have produced mixed findings. Some scholars have argued that this might be due to the way interethnic contact is measured. Building on insights of social psychology, this study examines the influence of interethnic marriage as the ultimate form of positive intergroup contact. In doing so, we combine information of the Demographic and Health Surveys with event data on ethnic conflict. Our analysis shows that areas with higher levels of exogamy significantly experience less ethnic conflict.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Calistus Wilunda ◽  
Milkah Wanjohi ◽  
Risa Takahashi ◽  
Elizabeth Kimani-Murage ◽  
Antonina Mutoro

Abstract The relationship between different dimensions of women's empowerment and childhood anaemia in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is unclear. We assessed the associations between women’s empowerment and anaemia and haemoglobin (Hb) concentration among children using data from 72,032 women and their singleton children aged 6-59 months from the most recent Demographic and Health Surveys conducted between 2006 and 2019 in 31 SSA countries. Of the included children, 65.8% were anaemic and the mean Hb concentration was 102.3 g/dl (SD 16.1). The odds of anaemia in children reduced with increasing empowerment in the dimensions of attitude towards violence [quintile (Q1) vs. Q5, OR 0.80; 95% CI 0.71–0.89, Ptrend <0.001], decision making (Q1 vs. Q5, OR 0.68; 95% CI 0.59–0.79, Ptrend <0.001), education (Q1 vs. Q5, OR 0.80; 95% CI 0.72–0.89, Ptrend <0.001), and social independence (Q1 vs. Q5, OR 0.89; 95% CI 0.79–1.00, Ptrend <0.015). Similarly, children’s mean Hb concentration increased with increasing women’s empowerment in all the above dimensions. In conclusion, women empowerment was associated with reduced odds of anaemia and higher Hb concentration in children. Promotion of women's empowerment may reduce the burden of childhood anaemia in SSA.


2021 ◽  
pp. 088626052110051
Author(s):  
Bright Opoku Ahinkorah ◽  
Olayinka Modupe Onayemi ◽  
Abdul-Aziz Seidu ◽  
Oluwafemi Emmanuel Awopegba ◽  
Anthony Idowu Ajayi

While considerable attention has been given to the health consequences of child marriage in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), limited studies exist on its impact on intimate partner violence (IPV) in the region. We address this gap by examining the link between child marriage and IPV. We tested our study hypothesis using demographic and health survey data of 28,206 young women aged 20-24 years from 16 SSA countries with recent surveys (2015-2019). Binary logistic regression models were used to examine the effect of child marriage on IPV. Child marriage prevalence ranged from 13.5% in Rwanda, in East Africa, to 77% in Chad, in Central Africa, while IPV ranged from 17.5% in Mozambique in Southern Africa to 42% in Uganda, in East Africa. Past year experience of IPV was higher among young women who married or begun cohabiting before the age of 18 (36.9%) than those who did at age 18 or more (32.5%). This result was consistent for all forms of violence: physical violence (22.7% vs 19.7%), emotional violence (25.3% vs 21.9%), and sexual violence (12% vs 10.4%). After controlling for covariates, we found that young women in SSA who married before 18 years were more likely to experience IPV than those who married as adults (AOR: 1.20; 95% CI [1.12, 1.29]). Significant heterogeneity was observed in the country-level results, with a higher likelihood of IPV found in 14 of the 16 countries and lower in Angola and Chad. Child marriage is associated with a higher likelihood of IPV in most SSA countries, suggesting that ending child marriage will result in a substantial reduction in IPV. There is a need to institute policies to support and protect women who marry as children from abusive relationships in SSA.


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