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Goodman M, Theron L, McPherson H, Seidel S, Raimer-Goodman L, Munene K, Gatwiri C. Multisystemic factors predicting street migration of children in Kenya: A multilevel longitudinal study of families and villages. CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2024; 154:106897. [PMID: 38870709 PMCID: PMC11316653 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2024.106897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 05/22/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Street-migration of children is a global problem with sparse multi-level or longitudinal data. Such data are required to inform robust street-migration prevention efforts. OBJECTIVE This study analyzes longitudinal cohort data to identify factors predicting street-migration of children - at caregiver- and village-levels. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING Kenyan adult respondents (n = 575; 20 villages) actively participated in a community-based intervention, seeking to improve factors previously identified as contributing to street-migration by children. METHODS At two time points, respondents reported street-migration of children, and variables across economic, social, psychological, mental, parenting, and childhood experience domains. Primary study outcome was newly reported street-migration of children at T2 "incident street-migration", compared to households that reported no street-migration at T1 or T2. For caregiver-level analyses, we assessed bivariate significance between variables (T1) and incident street-migration. Variables with significant bivariate associations were included in a hierarchical logistical regression model. For community-level analyses, we calculated the average values of variables at the village-level, after excluding values from respondents who indicated an incident street-migration case to reduce potential outlier influence. We then compared variables between the 5 villages with the highest incidence to the 15 villages with fewer incident cases. RESULTS In regression analyses, caregiver childhood experiences, psychological factors and parenting behaviors predicted future street-migration. Lower village-aggregated depression and higher village-aggregated collective efficacy and social curiosity appeared significantly protective. CONCLUSIONS While parenting and economic strengthening approaches may be helpful, efforts to prevent street migration by children should also strengthen community-level mental health, collective efficacy, and communal harmony.
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Perrigo JL, Molina AP, López O, Traube D, Palinkas LA. The deinstitutionalization of children and adolescents in El Salvador's child protection system. CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2024; 147:106601. [PMID: 38113572 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2023.106601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In 2010, El Salvador introduced legislation aimed at reforming the country's Child Protective System (CPS), with a focus on promoting deinstitutionalization. OBJECTIVE The study aim was to explore the impact of deinstitutionalization on the Salvadoran CPS. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING The study was conducted in El Salvador, granting authors unique access to key informants with extensive experience in the country's CPS. Unlike the United States, which is divided into states, El Salvador is divided into departments, and CPS providers were recruited from all 14 departments. Focus groups were facilitated in the East, West, and Central zones to ensure representation from all regions. METHODS Qualitative semi-structured interviews (n = 26) were conducted in June/July of 2019, which were then followed by focus groups (n = 4) in August 2019. The analysis of the data employed a combination of deductive and inductive thematic coding methods. RESULTS CPS providers offered valuable insights, categorized into five main themes: (1) Strengths of El Salvador's CPS, (2) Deinstitutionalization policy encompassing socioenvironmental contextual factors, (3) Challenges in the deinstitutionalization process, including insufficient follow-up on deinstitutionalized children, (4) Recommendations from participants, highlighting the importance of enhancing stakeholder coordination/collaboration, and (5) The necessity for a paradigm shift, emphasizing the need to redefine the social contract on protecting children from child maltreatment. CONCLUSIONS The Salvadoran CPS requires substantial systemic changes. Encouragingly, key informants have demonstrated a commitment to reform not only the deinstitutionalization process but also the broader CPS system in El Salvador including case management and quality of care in institutional settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith L Perrigo
- University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Luskin School of Public Affairs, Social Welfare Department, 3250 Public Affairs Building, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1656, USA.
| | | | - Omar López
- University of Southern California (USC), Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, 669 W 34(th) Street, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Dorian Traube
- University of Southern California (USC), Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, 669 W 34(th) Street, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Lawrence A Palinkas
- University of Southern California (USC), Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, 669 W 34(th) Street, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
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Goodman M, Turan J, Keiser P, Seidel S, Raimer-Goodman L, Gitari S, Mukiri F, Brault M, Patel P. A social innovation to empower community-led monitoring and mobilization for HIV prevention in rural Kenya: experimenting to reduce the HIV prevention policy-implementation gap. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1240200. [PMID: 38026281 PMCID: PMC10655084 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1240200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Strong policy guidance has recently emerged identifying focal points at multiple levels and across sectors to end the persistent HIV pandemic and related inequities. Reducing the policy-implementation gap, as with the evidence-policy gap, requires strategic alignment between interventional research and policy realms. Global- and national-level HIV policy indicate a need for community-led efforts to reduce HIV stigma, and increase uptake of HIV prevention tools. Methods This study assesses a process-driven approach to facilitating community-led efforts to reduce HIV stigma, and build a generative context for community-led HIV prevention. The study intervention combines an adapted group-based microfinance process, a novel psychological curriculum, and leadership development at a scale now involving over 10,000 rural Kenyans across 39 villages. Results Consistent with interventional goals, and current relevant psychosocial theories, we find collective emotion, and HIV stigma (blame and discrimination) significantly improve with more time participating in the in the program and novel curriculum. Further, HIV stigma predicts subsequent reporting of ever being tested for HIV, and the intervention led to the development of "HIV prevention resource committees" - groups of participants committed to undergo training to reduce HIV stigma and prevent HIV within their communities. Discussion Implications for further research to reduce the HIV policy-implementation gap are discussed, directly within this interventional context and more generally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Goodman
- Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States
- Department of Global Health and Emerging Diseases, The University of Texas Medical Branch School of Public and Population Health, Galveston, TX, United States
| | - Janet Turan
- Department of Health Policy and Organization, School of Public Health, The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Philip Keiser
- Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States
| | | | - Lauren Raimer-Goodman
- Department of Pediatrics, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States
| | | | | | - Marie Brault
- Department of Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center School of Public Health, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Premal Patel
- Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States
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Goodman ML, Seidel SE, Springer A, Elliott A, Markham C, Serag H, Keiser P, Raimer B, Raimer-Goodman L, Gatwiri C, Munene K, Gitari S. Enabling structural resilience of street-involved children and youth in Kenya: reintegration outcomes and the Flourishing Community model. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1175593. [PMID: 37680240 PMCID: PMC10482225 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1175593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Millions of children and youth live on city streets across the globe, vulnerable to substance use, abuse, material and structural neglect. Structural resilience, the re-establishment of access to structural goods within a society such as housing, education, and healthcare following some interruption, provides an orientation for research and interventional efforts with street-involved children and youth (SICY). Further, a structural resilience framework supports organizing interactions between levels and sectors of a socio-ecology. Methods Following the expressed interests of Kenyan SICY, and consistent with emerging policy interests at national and global levels, we assess reintegration trajectories of Kenyan SICY (n = 227) participating in a new program intervention and model. The intervention combines two coordinated, parallel programs - one focused on the rescue, rehabilitation, reintegration and resocialization of SICY, and the other focused on empowering families and communities to provide better care for children and youth who are reintegrating from life on the streets to the broader community. Data were collected and analyzed from multiple stages across SICY involvement with the intervention. Results We found 79% of SICY participants reintegrated with the broader community, and 50% reintegrated with families of origin and returned to school. Twenty-five percent of participants reintegrated to a boarding school, polytechnical school, or began a business. Probability of reintegrating successfully was significantly improved among participants whose families participated in the family- and community-oriented program, who were younger, with less street-exposure, expressed more personal interests, and desired to reintegrate with family. Discussion To our knowledge, these are the first quantitative data published of successful reintegration of SICY to the broader, non-institutionalized community in any low- or middle-income country. Future research should (1) identify factors across socio-ecological levels and sectors contributing to health and developmental outcomes of reintegrated children and youth, (2) mechanisms to support SICY for whom the interventional strategy did not work, (3) methods to prevent street-migration by children and youth, and (4) system development to coordinate follow-up and relevant investment by institutions, organizations and community leaders to continue reintegration work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael L. Goodman
- Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States
- Sodzo International, Houston, TX, United States
| | | | - Andrew Springer
- The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Aleisha Elliott
- Texas AHEC East, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States
| | - Christine Markham
- The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Hani Serag
- Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States
| | - Philip Keiser
- School of Public and Population Health, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States
| | - Ben Raimer
- Office of the President, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States
| | - Lauren Raimer-Goodman
- Community-based Clinics, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States
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