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Annor FB, Amene EW, Zhu L, Stamatakis C, Picchetti V, Matthews S, Miedema SS, Brown C, Thorsen VC, Manuel P, Gilbert LK, Kambona C, Coomer R, Trika J, Kamuingona R, Dube SR, Massetti GM. Parental absence as an adverse childhood experience among young adults in sub-Saharan Africa. Child Abuse Negl 2024; 150:106556. [PMID: 37993366 PMCID: PMC10961199 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2023.106556] [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: 04/20/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Parental absence in childhood has been associated with multiple negative consequences, such as depression and anxiety in young adulthood. OBJECTIVE To assess whether parental absence for six months or more in childhood is associated with poor mental health and substance use in young adulthood and whether parental absence accounts for additional variance beyond those explained by other adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) among youth in sub-Saharan Africa. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTINGS We used combined Violence Against Children and Youth Survey (VACS) data from Cote d'Ivoire (2018), Lesotho (2018), Kenya (2019), Namibia (2019), and Mozambique (2019). Analyses were restricted to 18-24-year-olds (nf = 7699; nm = 2482). METHODS We used logistic regression to examine sex-stratified relationships between parental absence in childhood (defined as biological mother or father being away for six months or more before age 18) and mental health problems and substance use and whether parental absence explained additional variance beyond those explained by other ACEs. RESULTS In sub-Saharan Africa, parental absence in childhood was common (30.5 % in females and 25.1 % in males), significantly associated with poor mental health and substance use among females and males and accounted for additional variance beyond those explained by conventional ACEs. For example, after controlling for study covariates and other ACEs, females who experienced any parental absence had 1.52 (95 % CI = 1.02-2.26) higher odds of experiencing moderate/serious psychological distress compared with those who did not. CONCLUSION The observed association between parental absence and poor mental health suggests that this experience has significant adverse consequences and merits consideration as an ACE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francis B Annor
- Division of Violence Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States; United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, United States.
| | - Ermias W Amene
- Division of Violence Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Liping Zhu
- Division of Violence Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Caroline Stamatakis
- Division of Global HIV and TB, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Rwanda
| | - Viani Picchetti
- Division of Violence Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Sarah Matthews
- Division of Violence Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Stephanie S Miedema
- Division of Violence Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Colvette Brown
- Division of Violence Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Viva C Thorsen
- Division of Global HIV and Tuberculosis, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Pedro Manuel
- Division of Global HIV and Tuberculosis, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Mozambique
| | - Leah K Gilbert
- United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, United States; Office of the Chief Operating Officer, Office of Safety, Security and Asset Management, Occupational Health Clinic, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Caroline Kambona
- Division of Global HIV and Tuberculosis, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Kenya
| | - Rachel Coomer
- Division of Global HIV and Tuberculosis, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Namibia
| | | | | | - Shanta R Dube
- Levine College of Public Health Program, Wingate University, Wingate, NC, United States
| | - Greta M Massetti
- Division of Violence Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
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