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Kuchukhidze S, Walters MK, Panagiotoglou D, Boily MC, Diabaté S, Russell WA, Stöckl H, Sardinha L, Mbofana F, Wanyenze RK, Imai-Eaton JW, Maheu-Giroux M. The contribution of intimate partner violence to vertical HIV transmission: a modelling analysis of 46 African countries. Lancet HIV 2024; 11:e542-e551. [PMID: 39059403 DOI: 10.1016/s2352-3018(24)00148-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2024] [Revised: 05/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Addressing gender inequities could be key to the elimination of vertical transmission of HIV. Women experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV) might be at an increased risk of vertical transmission due to their vulnerability to HIV acquisition and barriers to access to and retention in care. Sub-Saharan Africa, where IPV burden is among the highest globally, accounts for most new paediatric HIV infections. We aimed to examine the proportion of excess vertical transmission attributable to IPV in this region. METHODS In this modelling analysis, we created a probability tree model of vertical HIV transmission among women aged 15-49 years in 46 African countries. We estimated the proportion of vertical transmission attributable to past-year physical or sexual IPV, or both, as an age-standardised population attributable fraction (PAF) and as excess vertical transmission risk per 1000 births among women experiencing IPV. We incorporated perinatal and postnatal vertical transmission among women who acquired HIV before pregnancy, during pregnancy, and during breastfeeding. Fertility, HIV prevalence, HIV incidence, antiretroviral therapy (ART) uptake, and ART retention varied in the model by women's IPV experience. The model was parameterised using UNAIDS' 2023 Spectrum model data, WHO's Global Database on Violence Against Women, and the peer-reviewed literature. Uncertainty intervals (95% UI) were calculated through 1000 Monte Carlo simulations. FINDINGS Across 46 countries 13% (95% UI 6-21) of paediatric HIV infections in 2022 were attributed to IPV, corresponding to over 22 000 paediatric infections. The PAF ranged from 4% (2-7) in Niger to 28% (13-43) in Uganda. The PAF was highest among girls aged 15-19 years (20%, 8-33) and lowest among women aged 45-49 years (6%, 3-9). In southern Africa, where women's HIV prevalence is highest (23%), IPV led to 11 (5-20) additional infections per 1000 births among women affected by IPV. INTERPRETATION IPV might be responsible for one in eight paediatric HIV infections in sub-Saharan Africa. Ending IPV could accelerate vertical transmission elimination, especially among young women who bear the highest burden of violence. FUNDING Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Canada Research Chair, and Fonds de recherche du Québec-Santé. TRANSLATIONS For the French, Georgian and Spanish translations of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salome Kuchukhidze
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Population and Global Health, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Magdalene K Walters
- MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Dimitra Panagiotoglou
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Population and Global Health, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Marie-Claude Boily
- MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Souleymane Diabaté
- Département de Médecine Sociale et Préventive, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada; Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada
| | - W Alton Russell
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Population and Global Health, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Heidi Stöckl
- Institute for Medical Information Processing, Biometry, and Epidemiology, Medical Faculty, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Lynnmarie Sardinha
- The UNDP-UNFPA-UNICEF-WHO-World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction (HRP), Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | - Rhoda K Wanyenze
- Department of Disease Control and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Jeffrey W Imai-Eaton
- MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK; Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mathieu Maheu-Giroux
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Population and Global Health, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada.
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Ujah OI, Ocheke AN, Olagbuji BN. Is household food insecurity associated with social attitudes accepting of physical intimate partner violence against women in Nigeria? A population-level cross-sectional study. BMJ Open 2024; 14:e082760. [PMID: 38866566 PMCID: PMC11177683 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-082760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2023] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Although prior research suggests that household food insecurity (HFI) is associated with intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW), there is a paucity of research regarding its impact on attitudes accepting of IPVAW. We examined whether individuals experiencing HFI are more likely to accept physical IPVAW, whether the association varies by gender and whether it persists when models are adjusted for other confounders. DESIGN Population-level cross-sectional analysis. SETTING This study used the round 6 of the UNICEF-supported Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) conducted in Nigeria. PARTICIPANTS The sample included 23 200 women and 7087 men, aged 15-49 years, who were currently married or in union and responded to the attitudes towards domestic violence and HFI modules in the MICS. OUTCOME MEASURES AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS Attitudinal acceptance of physical IPVAW (specific forms and overall). We conducted weighted multivariable logistic regression to estimate the OR and their corresponding 95% CIs of the associations of food insecurity (FI) with attitudinal acceptance of physical IPVAW, adjusting for potential confounders. RESULTS Multivariable results indicate that severe HFI was positively associated with attitudinal acceptance physical IPVAW in at least one of the scenarios presented (aOR=1.11; 95% CI: 1.01 to 1.22). Individuals experiencing severe HFI had higher odds of physical IPVAW acceptance when wife neglects the children (aOR=1.15; 95% CI: 1.02 to 1.31). The likelihood of physical IPVAW acceptance if wife burns the food was lower for women experiencing moderate HFI (aOR=0.86; 95% CI: 0.74 to 0.99). Stratified analyses indicated heterogeneity in the association between HFI and attitudinal acceptance of physical IPVAW by gender. CONCLUSION Our findings indicate that, depending on the severity, FI status may be associated with attitudinal acceptance of physical IPVAW, with potential variations based on gender. The public health implications are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Otobo I Ujah
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Federal University of Health Sciences Otukpo, Otukpo, Nigeria
- College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Amaka N Ocheke
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Jos, Jos, Plateau, Nigeria
| | - Biodun N Olagbuji
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti, Ekiti, Nigeria
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Donkoh IE, Aboagye RG, Okyere J, Seidu AA, Ahinkorah BO, Yaya S. Association between the survey-based women's empowerment index (SWPER) and intimate partner violence in sub-Saharan Africa. Reprod Health 2024; 21:63. [PMID: 38730477 PMCID: PMC11088024 DOI: 10.1186/s12978-024-01755-8] [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: 09/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Intimate partner violence (IPV) is high among women of reproductive age in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). However, empowering women enables them to confront and mitigate IPV. In this study, we examined the association between the survey-based women's empowerment index (SWPER) and IPV in SSA. METHODS We used data from the Demographic and Health Surveys of 19 countries conducted from 2015 to 2021. Our study was restricted to a weighted sample of 82,203 women of reproductive age who were married or cohabiting. We used spatial maps to show the proportions of women who experienced past-year IPV. A five-modelled multilevel binary logistic regression analysis was adopted to examine the association between SWPER and IPV. The results were presented using the adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with their respective 95% confidence interval (CI). Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. RESULTS With physical and emotional violence, the country with the highest prevalence was Sierra Leone, with a prevalence of 39.00% and 38.97% respectively. Rwanda (10.34%), Zambia (11.09%), Malawi (15.00%), Uganda (16.88%), and Burundi (20.32%) were the hotspot countries for sexual violence. Angola (34.54%), Uganda (41.55%), Liberia (47.94%), and Sierra Leone (59.98%) were the hotspot countries for IPV. A high SWPER score in attitudes to violence significantly decreased the odds of IPV [AOR = 0.70; 95% CI = 0.66, 0.75]. Also, women with medium score in decision-making were less likely to experience IPV compared to those with lower scores [AOR = 0.89; 95% CI = 0.83, 0.95]. However, higher odds of experiencing IPV was found among women with medium score in autonomy compared to those with low scores [AOR = 1.07; 95% CI = 1.01, 1.14]. CONCLUSIONS Our study has shown that the three dimensions of SWPER significantly predict IPV among women. Consequently, it is crucial that sub-Saharan African countries implement various initiatives, such as IPV advocacy programs and economic livelihood empowerment initiatives. These initiatives should not only aim to improve women's attitudes to domestic violence but also to enhance their social independence, autonomy, and decision-making capacity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Esi Donkoh
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana
| | - Richard Gyan Aboagye
- Department of Family and Community Health, Fred N. Binka School of Public Health, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Hohoe, Ghana
| | - Joshua Okyere
- Department of Population and Health, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana
- School of Nursing and Midwifery, College of Health Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Abdul-Aziz Seidu
- Centre for Gender and Advocacy, Takoradi Technical University, Takoradi, Ghana
- College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia
- REMS Consultancy Services Limited, Sekondi-Takoradi, Western region, Ghana
| | - Bright Opoku Ahinkorah
- REMS Consultancy Services Limited, Sekondi-Takoradi, Western region, Ghana
- School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Sanni Yaya
- School of International Development and Global Studies, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada.
- The George Institute for Global Health, Imperial College London, London, UK.
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Yount KM, Gram L, Peterman A. Is intimate partner violence declining? It's still an open question. Lancet Glob Health 2024; 12:e559. [PMID: 38485422 DOI: 10.1016/s2214-109x(23)00599-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn M Yount
- Hubert Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
| | - Lu Gram
- Institute of Global Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Amber Peterman
- Department of Public Policy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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Ma N, Song Y, Li Z. Is intimate partner violence declining? It's still an open question - Authors' reply. Lancet Glob Health 2024; 12:e560. [PMID: 38485423 DOI: 10.1016/s2214-109x(24)00028-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Ning Ma
- Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yi Song
- Institute of Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhihui Li
- Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
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