Nyemgah Caroline Adjimi, Ranganathan Meghna, Nabukalu Doreen, Stöckl Heidi
Department of Global Health and Development, Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom.
Department of Statistics, Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom.
PLOS Glob Public Health. 2024 Jul 16;4(7):e0002638. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0002638. eCollection 2024.
Globally, intimate partner violence (IPV) is highly prevalent, with adolescents being particularly vulnerable, especially during pregnancy. This study examines the prevalence and severity of physical IPV among pregnant adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). We analyzed data from Demographic Health Surveys collected between 2017-2021 from eight SSA countries, involving 2,289 ever-pregnant adolescents aged 15-19. Physical IPV during pregnancy was defined as experiencing physical harm while pregnant by a husband, former partner, current boyfriend, or former boyfriend. Severity of physical IPV included experiences such as kicking, choking, weapon threats, and serious injuries. Logistic regression analysis was conducted, with results presented as unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals. The prevalence of physical IPV during pregnancy among adolescents in the eight SSA countries ranged from 2.9% to 12.6%, with 5.6% experiencing severe lifetime physical IPV and 6.3% severe physical injuries. We found a strong association between physical IPV during pregnancy and severe lifetime physical IPV (aOR: 6.8, 95% CI: 4.5-10.4) and severe injuries (aOR: 9.2, 95% CI: 6.0-14.2), even after adjusting for covariates. Physical IPV during pregnancy is common among adolescents in SSA and is associated with severe physical lifetime IPV. Addressing this issue in low-resource settings requires collaborative efforts among community stakeholders, health system practitioners, and policymakers to protect vulnerable adolescent girls during pregnancy.
在全球范围内，亲密伴侣暴力（IPV）极为普遍，青少年尤其容易受到影响，尤其是在孕期。本研究调查了撒哈拉以南非洲（SSA）地区怀孕青少年遭受身体暴力的IPV的发生率和严重程度。我们分析了2017年至2021年期间从八个SSA国家收集的人口健康调查数据，涉及2289名年龄在15至19岁之间的曾怀孕青少年。孕期身体暴力被定义为在怀孕期间遭受丈夫、前任伴侣、现任男友或前任男友的身体伤害。身体暴力的严重程度包括踢打、窒息、武器威胁和重伤等经历。进行了逻辑回归分析，结果以未调整和调整后的比值比及95%置信区间呈现。八个SSA国家青少年孕期身体暴力的发生率在2.9%至12.6%之间，5.6%的人曾遭受严重的终生身体暴力，6.3%的人曾遭受严重身体伤害。我们发现，即使在对协变量进行调整后，孕期身体暴力与严重的终生身体暴力（调整后的比值比：6.8，95%置信区间：4.5 - 10.4）和严重伤害（调整后的比值比：9.2，95%置信区间：6.0 - 14.2）之间仍存在强烈关联。孕期身体暴力在SSA地区的青少年中很常见，并且与严重的终生身体暴力相关。在资源匮乏的环境中解决这一问题需要社区利益相关者、卫生系统从业者和政策制定者共同努力，以保护孕期脆弱的少女。
