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Frances C, Garnsey C, DeMulder J. Neglected gaps in improving the health, wellbeing, and care for sexual and gender minority young people living in low- and lower-middle- income countries: a scoping review. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:1664. [PMID: 37648963 PMCID: PMC10466764 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-16443-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is a lack of reliable data on the size, characteristics, and experiences of sexual and gender minority (SGM) young people (ages 10-24) in low- and lower-middle- income countries (LMICs). This review examines the research conducted in the last thirteen years with and about SGM young people living in low-income settings and seeks to answer the question: What is known about the mental and physical health needs, safety, and wellbeing of SGM young people living in LMICs? METHODS We conducted a scoping review informed by the methodological frameworks put forth by Arksey and O'Malley and the Joanna Briggs Institute. We systematically searched two general social science databases and one topic-specific database for peer-reviewed papers, of any research design, that included SGM young people or explored attitudes toward SGM young people in LMICs. We included papers that reported on factors influencing the health and wellbeing of SGM populations, including physical and mental health, healthcare-seeking behaviors, substance use, experiences of discrimination and/or stigma, experiences of violence and abuse (emotional, physical, and/or sexual), economically motivated paid sex practices, housing or economic security, and attitudes of others toward SGM populations. RESULTS Of the 5,409 unique records identified, 79 papers drawing from data collected from 74 unique studies met the inclusion criteria. Only 50 of the 79 papers included SGM young people as participants, with just 13 focusing exclusively on SGM young people ages 10-24. The included papers were classified into three thematic groupings: attitudes toward SGM populations (n = 26), risks to health (n = 40), and experiences of stigma and discrimination (n = 13). CONCLUSION The findings indicate that the health and wellbeing of SGM young people in LMICs has been historically under-researched. While SGM young people have received more attention from researchers in recent years, the body of literature as a whole is disjointed and sparse, and often studies are about SGM young people, rather than with and for them. Our review highlights the need for more and better research, more accurate and disaggregated demographic data, and leadership and participation of SGM-led community-based organizations in the co-design of studies that focus on SGM young people.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Camille Garnsey
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
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Yount KM, Comeau D, Blake SC, Sales J, Sacks M, Nicol H, Bergenfeld I, Kalokhe AS, Stein AD, Whitaker DJ, Parrott D, Van HTH. Consortium for violence prevention research, leadership training, and implementation for excellence (CONVERGE): a protocol to train science leaders in gender-based-violence and violence-against-children research for impact. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1181543. [PMID: 37469691 PMCID: PMC10352114 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1181543] [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: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Gender-based violence (GBV) and violence against children (VAC) are two prevalent and highly interconnected global health challenges, yet data and research capacities to study these forms of violence and to generate evidence-based policies and programs remain limited. To address critical shortages in research capacity in Vietnam and to establish a model for other Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs), we are establishing CONVERGE-the Consortium for Violence Prevention Research, Implementation, and Leadership Training for Excellence. Methods Based on a needs assessment with partners in Vietnam, CONVERGE will provide a comprehensive research training program supporting 15 long-term, postdoctoral trainees with multi-disciplinary research training in GBV and VAC. We also will offer in-country trainings and short-courses to 40 short-term mid-career academic trainees and 60 short-term practitioner/stakeholder trainees over 5 years to build productive GBV and VAC academic, scientific, and practitioner networks. The CONVERGE training program has four components: (1) 14 h of virtual/in-person annual mentorship training to prepare research mentors and to create a pipeline of future mentors in Vietnam; (2) a one-month intensive research training for long-term postdoctoral fellows at Emory University; (3) a structured 17-month, in-country mentored research project for long-term trainees that results in a peer-reviewed manuscript and a subsequent grant submission; and, (4) week-long in-country intensive translational trainings on implementation science, advanced topics in leadership, and advanced topics in science dissemination. Opportunities for on-going virtual training and professional networking will be provided for CONVERGE trainees and mentors in Vietnam with other trainees and mentors of D43s focused on injury/violence prevention, D43s housed at Emory, and D43s with other institutions in Southeast Asia. To assess the reach, implementation, fidelity, and effectiveness of these four components, we will implement a rigorous, mixed-methods, multi-level evaluation strategy using process and outcome measures. Findings from the evaluation will be used to refine program components for future trainee and mentor cohorts and to assess long-term program impact. Discussion Led by Emory University in the US and Hanoi Medical University in Vietnam, CONVERGE represents leading institutions and experts from around the world, with a goal of providing mentorship opportunities for early-career scientists with an interest in violence prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn M. Yount
- Hubert Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Dawn Comeau
- Department of Behavioral, Social, and Health Education Sciences, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Sarah C. Blake
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Jessica Sales
- Department of Behavioral, Social, and Health Education Sciences, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Michael Sacks
- Goizueta Business School, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Hannah Nicol
- School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Irina Bergenfeld
- Hubert Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | | | - Aryeh D. Stein
- Hubert Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | | | - Dominic Parrott
- Department of Behavioral, Social, and Health Education Sciences, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
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Bergenfeld I, Cheong YF, Minh TH, Trang QT, Yount KM. Effects of exposure to sexually explicit material on sexually violent behavior among first-year university men in Vietnam. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0275246. [PMID: 36166441 PMCID: PMC9514651 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0275246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Adolescence and emerging adulthood represent a period of heightened vulnerability to sexual violence (SV). While some research suggests that exposure to sexually explicit material (SEM) among adolescents and college students is associated with sexually violent behavior, our understanding of this relationship is limited. This study aimed to assess the relationship between prior exposure to several types of SEM and sexually violent behavior in a sample of first-year university men in Vietnam. Methods and findings A cohort of 739 first-year male university students completed three survey waves over 14 months, providing information on contact and non-contact sexually violent behavior, exposure to SEM, and other theorized confounders of the SEM-SV relationship. Controlling for these covariates, we estimated the average treatment effect of SEM on contact and non-contact SV using the propensity score method. We also conducted a dose-response analysis for the effect of violent SEM on SV based on frequency-of-exposure classes derived from latent class analysis. The majority of the sample reported exposure to SEM in the prior six months, with 41% of the sample reporting exposure to violent SEM. In propensity-adjusted models, exposure to violent SEM, but not other types, had a small but significant positive effect on contact and non-contact SV. These effects increased for frequent viewers of violent SEM. Models of contact SV showed endogeneity, warranting caution. Conclusions Exposure to violent SEM is prevalent among university men in Vietnam and may be contributing to sexually violent behavior. Incorporating media literacy into SV prevention programs to mitigate these potential effects may be warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina Bergenfeld
- Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Yuk Fai Cheong
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Tran Hung Minh
- Center for Creative Initiatives in Health and Population, Cầu Giấy, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Quach Thu Trang
- Center for Creative Initiatives in Health and Population, Cầu Giấy, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Kathryn M. Yount
- Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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