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Agathis NT, Annor FB, Xu L, Swedo E, Chiang L, Coomer R, Hegle J, Patel P, Forster N, O’Malley G, Ensminger AL, Kamuingona R, Andjamba H, Nshimyimana B, Manyando M, Massetti GM. Strong Father-Child Relationships and Other Positive Childhood Experiences, Adverse Childhood Experiences, and Sexual Risk Factors for HIV among Young Adults Aged 19-24 Years, Namibia, 2019: A Cross-Sectional Study. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2023; 20:6376. [PMID: 37510608 PMCID: PMC10378761 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20146376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
Using cross-sectional data from the 2019 Namibia Violence Against Children and Youth Survey and sex-stratified multivariable models, we assessed the associations between four different positive childhood experiences (PCEs) and having ≥3 adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), including ≥3 ACE-PCE interaction terms, and seven sexual risk factors for HIV acquisition among young adults aged 19-24 years. One PCE, having a strong father-child relationship, was inversely associated with two risk factors among women (lifetime transactional sex (OR, 0.4; 95% CI, 0.2-0.7) and recent age-disparate sexual relationships (OR, 0.3; 95% CI, 0.2-0.5)), and significantly interacted with having ≥3 ACEs for three risk factors among women (not knowing a partner's HIV status, infrequently using condoms, and ever having an STI) and one among men (having multiple sexual partners in the past year). The other PCEs were significantly associated with ≤1 HIV risk factor and had no significant interaction terms. Strong father-child relationships may reduce HIV acquisition risk and mitigate the effect of childhood adversity on HIV risk among young adults in Namibia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nickolas T. Agathis
- Epidemic Intelligence Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA
- Division of Violence Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA
| | - Francis B. Annor
- Division of Violence Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA
| | - Likang Xu
- Division of Violence Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA
| | - Elizabeth Swedo
- Division of Violence Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA
| | - Laura Chiang
- Division of Violence Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA
| | - Rachel Coomer
- Division of Global HIV and TB, Global Health Center, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Private Bag, Windhoek 12029, Namibia
| | - Jennifer Hegle
- Division of Global HIV and TB, Global Health Center, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA
| | - Pragna Patel
- Division of Global HIV and TB, Global Health Center, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA
| | - Norbert Forster
- International Training and Education Center for Health, Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Gabrielle O’Malley
- International Training and Education Center for Health, Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Alison L. Ensminger
- International Training and Education Center for Health, Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Rahimisa Kamuingona
- Ministry of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication, and Social Welfare, Private Bag, Windhoek 13359, Namibia
| | - Helena Andjamba
- Ministry of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication, and Social Welfare, Private Bag, Windhoek 13359, Namibia
| | - Brigitte Nshimyimana
- Ministry of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication, and Social Welfare, Private Bag, Windhoek 13359, Namibia
| | - Molisa Manyando
- US Agency for International Development, Washington, DC 20004, USA
| | - Greta M. Massetti
- Division of Violence Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA
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Howard AL, Chiang L, Picchetti V, Zhu L, Hegle J, Patel P, Saul J, Wasula L, Nantume S, Coomer R, Kamuingona R, Oluoch RP, Mharadze T, Duffy M, Kambona CA, Ramphalla P, Fathim KM, Massetti GM. Population Estimates of HIV Risk Factors to Inform HIV Prevention Programming for Adolescent Girls and Young Women. AIDS Educ Prev 2023; 35:20-38. [PMID: 37406147 DOI: 10.1521/aeap.2023.35.suppa.20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/07/2023]
Abstract
Violence Against Children and Youth Survey (VACS) data from seven countries were analyzed to estimate population-level eligibility for the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-Free, Mentored, and Safe (DREAMS) HIV prevention program for adolescent girls and young women (AGYW). The prevalence of overall eligibility and individual risk factors, including experiences of violence, social, and behavioral risks differ across countries and age groups. A large proportion of AGYW across all countries and age groups examined have at least one risk factor making them eligible for DREAMS. Experiencing multiple risks is also common, suggesting that researchers and programs could work together to identify combinations of risk factors that put AGYW at greatest risk of HIV acquisition, or that explain most new HIV infections, to more precisely target the most vulnerable AGYW. The VACS provides important data for such analyses to refine DREAMS and other youth programming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashleigh L Howard
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Center for Global Health, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Laura Chiang
- CDC, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Viani Picchetti
- CDC, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Liping Zhu
- CDC, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Jennifer Hegle
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Center for Global Health, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Pragna Patel
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Center for Global Health, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Janet Saul
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Center for Global Health, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Lydia Wasula
- Uganda Ministry of Gender, Labor and Social Development, Kampala, Uganda
| | | | | | - Rahimisa Kamuingona
- Namibia Ministry of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication and Social Services, Windhoek, Namibia
| | | | | | | | | | - Puleng Ramphalla
- CDC, Lesotho Country Office, Maseru, Lesotho. Puleng Ramphalla, MS, is affiliated with the CDC, Côte d'Ivoire Country Office, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
| | | | - Greta M Massetti
- CDC, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Atlanta, Georgia
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Velloza J, Davies LD, Ensminger AL, Theofelus FM, Andjamba H, Kamuingona R, Masseti G, Coomer R, Forster N, O’Malley G. Cycles of Violence Among Young Women in Namibia: Exploring the Links Between Childhood Violence and Adult Intimate Partner Violence From the Violence Against Children and Youth Survey. J Interpers Violence 2022; 37:NP22992-NP23014. [PMID: 35156448 PMCID: PMC9661872 DOI: 10.1177/08862605211073107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Background: Violence against children is a global public health crisis and is associated with poor mental and physical health outcomes. Childhood violence may also increase the risk of subsequent violence revictimization by an intimate partner. We aimed to understand cycles of violence among adolescent girls and young women in Namibia to inform violence prevention and treatment interventions. Methods: The 2019 Namibia Violence Against Children and Youth Survey (VACS) examined the prevalence of childhood violence and intimate partner violence among 18-24 year old adolescent girls and young women (N = 2434). Using the data, we assessed the prevalence of childhood violence, defined as any physical, sexual, or emotional violence victimization prior to age 18, and estimated the prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) after age 18. We used a weighted logistic regression to assess whether childhood violence exposure was associated with subsequent experience of IPV after age 18. Results: Adolescent girls and young women in Namibia had a statistically significant higher odds of experiencing IPV if they had experienced any childhood violence including physical, sexual, and/or emotional violence (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 2.93; 95% Confidence Interval [95% CI: 1.64-5.23). IPV was also significantly associated with childhood physical (aOR: 1.81; 95% CI: 1.07-3.05), sexual (aOR: 3.79; 95% CI: 2.54-5.67), or emotional (aOR: 2.39; 95% CI: 1.18-4.86) violence when each were considered separately. We also observed a dose-response relationship between the number of types of childhood violence and IPV experience as a young adult. Conclusions: Childhood violence is a significant predictor of subsequent violence revictimization by an intimate partner. This analysis provides unique insights on cycles of violence among adolescent girls and young women in Namibia and points to the need for interventions during childhood to prevent violence against children and break this cycle among young women in sub-Saharan Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Velloza
- University of Washington, Department of Global Health, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Luke D. Davies
- University of Washington, Department of Global Health, Seattle, WA, USA
- International Training and Education Center for Health (I-TECH), University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Alison L. Ensminger
- University of Washington, Department of Global Health, Seattle, WA, USA
- International Training and Education Center for Health (I-TECH), University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Helena Andjamba
- Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare, Government of Namibia, Windhoek, Namibia
| | - Rahimisa Kamuingona
- Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare, Government of Namibia, Windhoek, Namibia
| | - Greta Masseti
- Division of Violence Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Rachel Coomer
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Windhoek, Namibia
| | - Norbert Forster
- University of Washington, Department of Global Health, Seattle, WA, USA
- International Training and Education Center for Health (I-TECH), University of Washington, Windhoek, Namibia
| | - Gabrielle O’Malley
- University of Washington, Department of Global Health, Seattle, WA, USA
- International Training and Education Center for Health (I-TECH), University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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Velloza J, Davies L, Ensminger A, Theofelus FM, Andjamba H, Kamuingona R, Nakuta J, Uiras W, Massetti G, Coomer R, Wolkon A, Forster N, O'Malley G. Disclosure and help-seeking behaviors related to sexual and physical violence in childhood and adolescence: Results from the Namibia Violence Against Children and Youth Survey. Child Abuse Negl 2022; 128:105624. [PMID: 35381545 PMCID: PMC9119951 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2022.105624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Revised: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Violence disclosure and help-seeking can mitigate adverse health effects associated with childhood violence, but little is known about facilitators and barriers of disclosure and help-seeking behaviors in sub-Saharan Africa. OBJECTIVE To understand factors associated with disclosure and help-seeking to inform care. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING Participants aged 13-24 years old in the 2019 Namibia Violence Against Children and Youth Survey (VACS). METHODS We assessed the prevalence of victimization, disclosure, and help-seeking and examined factors associated with violence disclosure and help-seeking, separately, by gender. RESULTS 4211 girls and 980 boys participated in the Namibia VACS. The prevalence of childhood sexual violence differed significantly by gender (15.7% among girls, 9.8% among boys), but physical violence prevalence did not differ by gender. Among victims of sexual violence, 57.3% of girls disclosed and 10.4% sought help, compared with only 30.7% and 3.2% of boys. Among victims of physical violence, 61.1% of girls and 53.4% of boys disclosed, and 16.9% of girls and 17.7% of boys sought help. Older age, social support, and experiencing more types of violence were associated with sexual violence disclosure among boys, but none of these factors were associated with sexual violence disclosure among girls. Lower education, perpetrator type, and witnessing violence were associated with physical violence disclosure among girls, while peer support and perpetrator type were associated with physical violence disclosure among boys. CONCLUSIONS Factors associated with childhood violence differed by gender and violence type in Namibia, highlighting a need for gender-specific violence services to facilitate violence disclosure and help-seeking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Velloza
- University of Washington, Department of Global Health, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Luke Davies
- University of Washington, Department of Global Health, Seattle, WA, USA; International Training and Education Center for Health (I-TECH), University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Alison Ensminger
- University of Washington, Department of Global Health, Seattle, WA, USA; International Training and Education Center for Health (I-TECH), University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Helena Andjamba
- Ministry of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare (formerly Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare), Government of Namibia, Windhoek, Namibia
| | - Rahimisa Kamuingona
- Ministry of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare (formerly Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare), Government of Namibia, Windhoek, Namibia
| | - Joyce Nakuta
- Ministry of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare (formerly Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare), Government of Namibia, Windhoek, Namibia
| | - Wilhencia Uiras
- Ministry of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare (formerly Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare), Government of Namibia, Windhoek, Namibia
| | - Greta Massetti
- Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Violence Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Rachel Coomer
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Global HIV & Tuberculosis, Windhoek, Namibia
| | - Adam Wolkon
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Global HIV & Tuberculosis, Windhoek, Namibia
| | - Norbert Forster
- University of Washington, Department of Global Health, Seattle, WA, USA; International Training and Education Center for Health (I-TECH), University of Washington, Windhoek, Namibia
| | - Gabrielle O'Malley
- University of Washington, Department of Global Health, Seattle, WA, USA; International Training and Education Center for Health (I-TECH), University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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Agathis NT, Annor FB, Coomer R, Hegle J, Patel P, Forster N, O'Malley G, Ensminger AL, Kamuingona R, Andjamba H, Manyando M, Massetti GM. HIV Prevention Program Eligibility Among Adolescent Girls and Young Women - Namibia, 2019. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2021; 70:1570-1574. [PMID: 34758009 PMCID: PMC8580202 DOI: 10.15585/mmwr.mm7045a2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
The U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) relies on comprehensive and reliable population data to implement interventions to reduce HIV transmission in high-incidence areas among populations disproportionately affected by the HIV epidemic. Adolescent girls and young women in sub-Saharan Africa account for a disproportionate number of new HIV infections compared with their male peers (1). The DREAMS (Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-free, Mentored, and Safe) program includes multisectoral, layered interventions aimed at reducing factors that contribute to vulnerability to HIV infection among adolescent girls and young women in PEPFAR-supported sub-Saharan African countries (1). Namibia, a southern African country with a population of approximately 2.55 million among whom approximately 8% live with HIV infection, had their DREAMS program first implemented in 2017* (2,3). Data from the 2019 Namibia Violence Against Children and Youth Survey (VACS), the most recent and comprehensive nationally representative data source available to study the epidemiology of violence and other HIV risk factors, were used to estimate the percentage of adolescent girls and young women aged 13-24 years who would be eligible for DREAMS program services. The prevalence of individual DREAMS eligibility criteria, which comprise known age-specific risk factors associated with HIV acquisition, were estimated by age group. Among all adolescent girls and young women in Namibia, 62% were eligible for DREAMS based on meeting at least one criterion. Common eligibility criteria included adverse childhood experiences, specifically exposure to physical, emotional, and sexual violence and being an orphan;† and high-risk behaviors, such as early alcohol use,§ recent heavy alcohol use,¶ and infrequent condom use.** Using VACS data to estimate the prevalence of HIV risk factors and identify adolescent girls and young women at elevated risk for HIV acquisition in countries like Namibia with high HIV-incidence can inform programs and policies aimed at improving the well-being of these adolescent girls and young women and help control the HIV epidemics in these countries.
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